


My Life Before Its Close

by Cardiac_chaos



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Asthma, Character Development, Gen, I don't even know how to describe this story, I will update every other week, I'm sorry if I get anything wrong, It took me a year, Multi, RYDER DOES NOT DIE, This is a completed work, Whump there it is, please don't judge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-05-29 17:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 36
Words: 52,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15077822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cardiac_chaos/pseuds/Cardiac_chaos
Summary: Ryder Caeli is a graduate student in Alana Bloom's class. When she's offered an internship position as an assistant to Alana in investigations, she meets the infamous Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter. The deeper she follows the investigations, the more she's pulled into the dangerous game that may be fatal if she isn't careful.





	1. Chapter 1

Ryder hurriedly gathered her books off the desk while she tried to simultaneously write down the parting thought Doctor Bloom had said about the Occipital lobe of the brain. Her mind was a jumble and most definitely didn’t expect to hear the professor call her name as she neared the exit of the spacious lecture hall. As she turned around, Ryder couldn’t help but wince, waiting for the usual verbal assault that she would get from other teachers. However, something was different, Doctor Bloom was different. She was kind and she liked Ryder and to be honest, Ryder didn’t really know why. Maybe it was because she was doing really well in her class or the fact that she was going for a position in the FBI for pathological psychology and Doctor Bloom was a Psychiatrist. 

Dr. Bloom met Ryder’s hesitant behavior with an easy smile while leaning on the desk with crossed arms while Ryder walked back from the opening of the classroom to where her desk was located at the front of the lecture hall. Dr. Bloom inclined her head to meet Ryder’s eyes as she picked them up from the book she was carrying for some other class. 

“Tough day huh?” Dr. Bloom laughed, and Ryder smiled too “well, it is Monday, I would say it’s pretty hard on all of us. But take it or leave it, the suns still shining”

Dr. Bloom continued smiling, “No matter the amount of rain or what day it is, right?” she paused to unfold her arms. “Listen, I hope I didn’t scare you, you looked like you’re going to be sick when I called your name. I just wanted to ask you some questions.” 

Ok Ryder, calm down she just wants to ask you a few questions, that doesn’t mean they’re about that horrid paper you turned in, Ryder’s inner monologue chanted as she stood for what seemed to be an eternity, awaiting what Dr. Bloom had to say. She was the one professor who actually knew what they’re talking about, was passionate and worked with people Ryder had seen in Tattle crime and genuinely liked Ryder. The thought that the teacher bothered to learn her name was pretty impressive on Ryder’s part—she considered herself invisible to everyone else. 

Dr. Bloom turned her petit frame and walked to the front of the desk and handed back Ryder’s ‘horrid’ paper. She was dumbfounded. She got another high mark on the paper in the class, not including the tests that Ryder also did great on. She smiled as she looked from the material thing in her hand to the person who gave the kind smile in return. “Thank you so much!” Ryder smiled broadly. 

Dr. Bloom laughed, “don’t thank me, thank yourself, you don’t give yourself enough credit Ryder, you’re a very smart girl and that’s why I wanted to ask you a few questions,” Ryder smiled crookedly at her. “Go for it.” 

Dr. Bloom let out a sigh she seemed to be holding and handed Ryder another paper on her desk, “Well first I wanted to give you this” she handed her the sheet of paper that had many questions as well as steps to take on it. “What’s this?” Ryder asked as she put down her books to examine the paper more closely. 

“It’s an internship form for you to fill out. I may be too forward in giving it to you, but I thought I would just run it past you because you show a lot of potential in your grades, personality, work ethic and—“, 

“I would love to” Ryder exclaimed as her eyes became approximately the size of saucers. 

Doctor Bloom nodded “Well you should know that you would be working late nights with other collogues as well as myself and also see some pretty gruesome scenes.” 

“I think the photos you’ve shown in lectures definitely depict that element” Ryder said, giving her a sad smile. Dr. Bloom nodded her head, “I know, but the photos don’t capture everything else involved, that’s why they call in people like us.” She cocked her head, “I think you have an interesting take on seeing things just from reading your papers and to be honest, you’re one of my most intelligent students. I think you would do great in helping the FBI and working by my side.” 

Ryder smiled down at the paper, “I would be honored. Thank you for this opportunity, I promise I’ll have this in by the end of the week” she picked up her books and walking backwards out of the classroom, not seeing where she was going and almost bumping into a tall, strongly built dark skinned man. He stopped her actions by grabbing her shoulders, which scared Ryder half to death and interrupted her joyous mood. Doctor Bloom let out a chuckle, walking from her desk to meet them, as Ryder turned to face the man. 

“Ryder this is Jack Crawford, head of the Behavioral Science Unit and also one of my colleagues we would work with. Jack, this is my student Ryder Caeli.” Ryder observed the man she had seen on the news and heard many stories about in class. She stood between the two accomplished adults, and thought she probably looked like a fish out of water. As soon as Ryder shook off her star struck moment she eagerly took agent Crawford’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you sir, I can’t even begin to express how exited I am for this wonderful opportunity!” she smiled at him and released his hand. 

He echoed her good mood, “Yes, Doctor Bloom has told us that she had planned on taking a student under her wing, we always need new eyes on cases.” Ryder smiled at him, exited for the future—crap! “Well it was nice meeting you and I look forward to our future conversations, but I’m afraid that I have to go to my next class.” Ryder sighed regretfully as she shook both their hands and thanked Dr. Bloom again, then scooted past them and sprinted down the hall to her next class. 

Jack Crawford looked over his shoulder at the short, dark-haired student. “I like her” he said smiling as he turned back to Alana Bloom. “She has a certain spunk” Alana agreed, humor in her voice and added, “She’ll do terrific” as she turned her back to gather her things from the desk and put on her coat. 

Jack nodded his head thoughtfully then became serious, “you know that she has to be protected, if anything happens to her, I wouldn’t forgive myself, I couldn’t, and after Miriam lass—” Alana looked up from buttoning her coat and crossed her arms once more, conviction in her eyes, “nothing will happen to her, she has us and everybody on the team and we know the preventative steps to take to not endanger students in the field, Jack. She’s a smart girl, trust me on this.” 

Jack looked over his shoulder once more, seemingly staring at something, “I do trust you, and I will learn to trust her, it’s myself I don’t trust.” Alana tied the belt on her coat and grabbed her briefcase, giving Jack a sidelong look as they walked towards the exit of the classroom. Jack had a point, but Ryder was her student and would be with her until she could stand on her own two feet—and that wouldn’t be for a long time. There would be nothing to worry about, Ryder would be safe.


	2. Chapter 2

Ryder was beyond ecstatic to be going with Dr. Bloom to the next case Jack and his team were investigating or rather have been investigating. She had told Ryder that the last case they closed—with the help of Will Graham whom she’d be meeting today—involved a man who saw people as angels. Dr. Bloom reminded her that some cases took them longer than others which was natural, however this case would be more drawn out since it involve talking to Abel Gideon. Ryder observed her professor in the car, she became closed off about the particular man. The Doctor had mentioned Abel in some of her lectures throughout the year, but Ryder knew it was not her place to bring up something that wasn’t any of her business. 

Other than that, Ryder was filled in with the preliminary things like how he was located at the Baltimore State Hospital under a man that Dr. Bloom had mentioned to be a Dr. Fredrick Chilton. 

The exact reason they were investigating Abel was because a murder had just turned up that resembled the work of the Chesapeake Ripper who Abel claimed to be. When they arrived to the front of the building, Alana walked in with Ryder in tow to meet Will Graham inside. Alana stopped in front of the scruffy man and stepped aside to introduce them. Ryder grinned and enthusiastically shook his hand while he gave her a tight smile. 

Ryder had heard his name around the school and knew that he lectured on a few occasions, but wasn’t lucky enough to get into any of his lectures. She mostly had read about him in Tattle Crime, which she knew was total garbage but had some interesting tidbits of information she liked. Ryder understood him to be the person who apprehended Garett Jacob Hobbs and shot him, saving his daughter, Abigail from certain death. 

She studied his appearance, he had his glasses on, a messy flop of dark hair and facial hair, but mainly, he just looked tired. “Nice to meet you, Ryder” he released her hand and started up the stairs to Dr. Frederick Chilton’s office. 

As they followed, Will knocked on the door and an Italian man with a full beard answered, looking at each of them individually. “Alana, Will, it’s good to see you” he then smiled at Ryder “and this must be Ryder Caeli, Alana had told me you were coming to observe. Better to start off that way” he gave her a flirtatious smile and walked to his desk, leaving them to come in and seat themselves. Dr. Chilton picked up his pen as Ryder and Dr. Bloom sat in front of his desk while Will looked out the window. Ryder glanced at the man standing at the window and found it a little odd of him to be acting this uninterested in a case. Maybe you desensitize after you’ve been involved with the profession for so long…or maybe that’s how he is, Ryder thought. She heard rumors about him around the university and how he was the no-nonsense type which she was catching onto now. She sneaked another glance at him, taking in his unusual demeanor, she wanted to get her own opinion though, she always did. 

“The volume of Abel Gideon’s mail is becoming a nuisance. Sometimes I feel like his secretary rather than his keeper.” Chilton exaggerated, flinging his pen in different directions. 

“Any specific correspondences that stood out from the others?” Alana asked. “Mostly researchers or Ph.D. candidates, requesting interviews. A scatter dozen lonely hearts seeking his hand in marriage” he’s hands became jittery as Alana had reminded him that the man in question butchered his last wife and her family on Thanksgiving. 

He swiveled his chair towards Ryder, “there’s no accounting for taste, or intelligence” this comment got Will’s attention as he turned away from the window. “Murdering his wife was impulsive. The Chesapeake Ripper is methodical, meticulous, that’s why he’s so hard to catch” Ryder nodded her head at Will’s statement but winced when Chilton added that Abel ‘was’ so hard to catch which caused Will to scowl at him. 

“Will you be conducting a joint interview?” Chilton inquired, effectively changing the subject before Will could object. 

“Separate. Compare and contrast. My student will be watching on the video monitors” Dr. Bloom clarified. 

He smiled at Dr. Bloom and then at Ryder, “I know you’re anxious to get on with it. You have talked to Gideon before, for some length of time.” 

Alana corrected him “Well, I saw him mainly in court. I wrote an article about him in the Journal of Criminal Psychology” which Ryder had read. Dr. Chilton got up from his desk, “he is very familiar with you. He’s given you a lot of thought” he goaded. 

“Did you have sessions with him?” Ryder asked, looking from him to her professor as she got her answer. “Yes, two, a couple years ago when he was first institutionalized.” 

Dr. Chilton paged through his notes “I’ve read your notes, of course. They were more or less helpful as I conducted my own interviews with Dr. Gideon over the years” he boasted as he looked to Ryder and Alana. It took everything Ryder had in her to keep from rolling her eyes at the vain man.

“Well, I’m glad I was helpful” Alana gave a tight lipped smile, however Ryder held back a laugh when Will mocked Chilton. “More or less” he mumbled as Alana ignored Will and stated that she’d go first and briefly led Ryder to a small room with a plethora of video monitors. 

On the way there, Ryder tried to dispel her first impression of Dr. Chilton, she firmly believed that people needed more than one time to get to know them, much like Will Graham. However the Doctor left a bad taste in Ryder’s mouth 

Ryder sat through each of Dr. Bloom’s and Will’s interviews and tried to follow what was happening. By the time they were done, Ryder was convinced that Abel didn’t do it. She believed that he was narcissistic—something that many people, not just serial killers, share. Rather he was covering something up because, like Will said, he was impulsive and not meticulous like the Chesapeake Ripper. Her thoughts were confirmed when she talked to Will and her professor, they had their doubts too about the man. 

Before they went outside, Alana told Ryder that she had to go sort through some paper work, but she wanted her to go with Will to see the nurse that Abel had mutilated. Ryder looked between the two, “is that okay? I mean I am interning for you” she asked and Dr. Bloom agreed but explained that Will was well trained and had a degree in pathology that might be instrumental for Ryder to observe too; Will seemed more reluctant towards the young student but agreed. 

Ryder nodded and waved goodbye to her professor and followed Will through a series of hallways. When they approached the door to the examining room, he held it for her. “Thank you, Mr. Graham” she commented and Will scoffed. “You can call me Will” he reassured her with another tight smile as she was faced with three medical examiners and Agent Crawford. The four people in the room seemed to be perplexed as to why she was there but Will assured them that Alana had agreed that Ryder observe more workings of the case. But that only led to more confused stares which made Ryder fidget. 

Jack seemed to be shaken out of his trance at the uncomfortable silence “Jimmy, Brian, Beverly, this is Ryder Caeli. She’s one of Alana’s top students who applied for the internship in the field for the time being.” Ryder felt more at ease as they all nodded their heads in understandment when agent Crawford introduced her to them. 

Ryder smiled shyly at the oldest, Jimmy, who commented on how great it was to meet her, Brian gave her a warm smile and Beverly who playfully sized her up, but shook Ryder’s hand and laughed at her own antics. Jack smiled, but it disappeared when he asked for the run-down. 

Beverly started first “there’s no detectable consistency with the Ripper victims. He doesn’t hunt exclusively within his own ethnic group, he’s killed all creeds, colors, men and women.” 

“She has the exact same wound pattern as the last known victim of the Chesapeake Ripper. I mean exact” Brian added. 

“We never found a body for his last known victim” Jack grumbled as Ryder came up to view the body, slipping on a pair of gloves. 

“I see the Ripper, but I don’t feel the Ripper, this is plagiarism” Will commented as he sat off from the group. 

“We never made the wound patterns for any of the Ripper’s victims public” Jack argued and ushered to Ryder who was contemplating the confusing situation. 

Ryder trailed a gloved finger over the body, “that’s for sure” she said aloud and looked up to see all the attention was on her. “I mean, being the outsider here, and following the news, agent Crawford is right. I never remember seeing anything like wound patterns being made public so it would be hard to recreate this murder the same exact way. But Will is onto something here, it looks like the Chesapeake murderer, but it doesn’t feel like it.”

Beverly stepped up to examine what Ryder was looking at “I mean, I guess you could call it a gut-feeling, right?” Beverly looked up to see Ryder who was stunned at the ill-timed pun and her partners who were shaking their heads.

Jack gave a frustrated sigh “In case you forgot, this is not joke-around time Ms. Katz” he turned to Will “you think someone would take the time to copy all these extravagant murderers?” 

Will quickly shook his head, “Well, maybe he is the Ripper. I don’t know. But if he’s a plagiarist, the real Chesapeake Ripper is gonna make sure everybody knows it” Will ended. They all looked to each other as Ryder looked down to the body before her. 

—

The next day Ryder had come in with Dr. Bloom on a request that they needed to bait the Chesapeake Ripper. Ryder was perplexed, “what had changed in Jack since yesterday? I mean he did have a point about the wound patterns, but was otherwise convinced that the Ripper was Abel Gideon” she asked her professor as they drove to the department. Alana had remained quiet as she sighed “well, your gonna find out either way so I might as well just tell you” Alana huffed. 

“Do you know the name ‘Miriam Las?’” Ryder dug in her brain and eventually pulling out a faint memory of a girl who wasn’t too much older than her when she disappeared. “Yes, I remember reading about her disappearance in the papers two years ago.”

“Well, last night Jack received a phone call from her, and he’s been receiving phone calls from her that were recorded beforehand. So right now Jack thinks it has to do with the Chesapeake Ripper, and we’re going to meet with Freddie Lounds to try to lure him out” she finished. 

“Freddie Lounds, from Tattletale Crime?” Ryder questioned, disbelief in her voice as Alana nodded her head and pulled into the parking space. As they were walking, Alana opened the door for Ryder “brace yourself, she’s an interesting person” Alana said to her as they were walking to the room. I can only imagine Ryder thought as they trailed through the hallway.

They met up with Jack and Will who showed them into the room to be faced with the red-haired woman. “Morning Agent Crawford, thank you for inviting me” she said holding out her hand for Jack as he took it and returned the ‘good morning.’ He pointed to Alana and Ryder, “this is Dr. Alana Bloom, she’s one of our psychiatric consultants and her student Ms. Ryder Caeli who is helping us in the field for a period of time.” 

They both shook hands with her and she gave her hand to Will who ignored it and sat down. Ouch. Ryder sat down across the woman and studied her, she looked like she could break like a twig she was so skinny and that red hair, instead of her pants being on fire, it was her hair, Ryder mused. 

“Miss Lounds, you have all the qualities of a good reporter. You have intelligence, guts, a good eye. So how is it that you wind up where you’ve ended up?” Jack questioned. 

“Where I wound up being criminal justice journalism?” she clarified. 

“Criminal justice journalism being a euphemism for tabloid reporting” Will criticized as Jack furthered with “you ran an unconfirmed story about the Chesapeake Ripper. What I want, is for you to confirm it.” 

She cocked her head “an exclusive story would be a coup” she confirmed. Jack nodded his head “yes it would, and you would get the satisfaction of seeing the Los Angeles Times, the sanctified Washington Post and even the holy New York Times run copyrighted material under your byline. With a picture credit” he appealed as she considered. 

Will leaned forward “what’s against you, and, by associated, us, is that your brand of journalism is obnoxious and therefore disliked” she smiled politely at him. “Yes, that is an obstacle. I tried to get an interview with Dr. Gideon, I was denied. Evidently some trouble with my euphemism” she hinted as Alana offered that she was friends with the chief of staff and could get her an interview. 

She considered the proposition “not to snap bubblegum and crack wise, but what’s my angle? Is he the Chesapeake Ripper, or do you just want me to tell everybody that he is?” Ryder sniffed, wow she really is as obnoxious in her writing as she is in person. 

“He could be and certain personalities are attracted to certain professions” Alana said. “Do you know what professions psychopaths disproportionately gravitate to?” Jack asked. 

Freddie thought about it. “CEOs, lawyers, the clergy—” but Jack finished for her “number five on that list is surgeons.” “I know the list” she taunted as Ryder commented “well, then you know what number six is on that list.” 

Freddie’s eyebrow shot up, “journalist.” She then took a second to meet Jack and Will’s eyes “do you know what seven is, law enforcement.” It became hushed in the room. Ryder had come to the conclusion that Alana had put it lightly when she said Freddie was interesting. The women was annoying and she didn’t blame Will for not shaking her hand. Her thought was ruined when Freddie started talking again. “So, here we are, a bunch of psychopaths helping each other out” she smiled at each one of them as they got up to escort her to the State Hospital.


	3. Chapter 3

Two days later, Alana had told Ryder that she wanted her to go the location traced by the last call Jack received that was the recorded voice of Miriam Lass. She arrived and walked up to her teammates, looking at the observatory as Will asked Beverly what Miriam was looking into when she disappeared. 

Beverly responded that it was medical records, interesting that it was medical record. They trailed up the steps in the observatory and met Jack who seemed to be in a trance. After a moment he spoke, saying that this time was different than all the other times— that her voice echoed through the phone. This time it could be traced with a phone number, so he dialed it and not long after they heard the ringing from inside the observatory. Ryder had nearly jumped when she heard it from within the structure and Beverly put a reassuring hand on her back even though a chill ran down her spine. 

They walked in and followed the echo of the phone to find the dismembered arm of Miriam Lass and a note that read ‘what do you see?’ Beverly put a hand on Ryder’s back again to escort her out, they walked down the stairs as Ryder took out her inhaler. 

Beverly watched “I didn’t know you had asthma.” She smiled at Ryder as she crossed her arms “just to let you know, you’re going to find a lot worse stuff than that in the future” she cautioned as Ryder nodded. Beverly frowned and inclined her head, “You okay?” she asked again and Ryder waved her off “yeah, yeah it’s just not like the pictures, you know?” Beverly smiled sadly at her “you have no idea.” 

—

The Chesapeake Ripper was still on everybody’s mind, but the whole team was momentarily perplexed at another murder that mirrored that of the Chesapeake Ripper’s. Ryder had missed the first crime scene that apparently had been investigated a day ago, and now she was looking at the second body. Brian said that the victim was found on a school bus, but this one was missing a spleen and a heart that was similar to the murder that happened a day ago. 

She was confused, Brian was arguing with Will about if there even was another killer and Will was set on the fact that there was. Will took a picture from Beverly and examined it and handed it to a confused Ryder who studied it too. She looked up from the picture, to see eight sets of eyes staring at her. 

She bit her lip, “there’s a subtle variation, but there are two killers” she agreed with Will which set Brian off. Will offered the possibility that the other killer was harvesting the organs to which Jimmy got excited, claiming that he loved a good urban legend. They all sighed, trying to think of possibilities; Ryder had thought that it’s either an organ harvester disguising his work as the Ripper’s, or the Ripper was disguising his work as the organ harvester. It was all very confusing, but Will had guessed that the Ripper’s mutilations hid the true nature of his crimes, they were art to him. 

They all had reconvened later that day when Jack arrived and had two more victims. Jimmy announced that some were missing hearts, kidneys, intestines, lungs, stomachs, you name it. When Jimmy and Brian were done explaining Jack asked Will how many killers there was as Will answered with two. Jack looked skeptical as he asked Will if he was sure—he only nodded. That was when everybody started filing out of the room, but Ryder had decided to stay and help Beverly, since the woman looked in over her head. “Need some help?” Ryder offered which made Beverly smile “always.”

It was late, Beverly had asked Ryder to help look through some extra footage, but when Ryder had found nothing Beverly took over. She shook her head at Ryder as she looked into video feeds from hotels, finally she got a hit as she threw a crumpled up piece of paper at Ryder who was looking at the victim files. Ryder raised an eyebrow at Beverly who quickly got out of her seat and motioned for her to follow to Jack’s office. 

Once they were there, Beverly explained that a first responder ambulance had driven away from the emergency which concerned Jack, considering first responders are supposed to head towards the emergency. He got out of his chair and rushed out of the room leaving a stunned Ryder staring at the door. 

Beverly smiled “come on, your invited too” she joked as Ryder fumbled with her words. “We’re going to catch this guy right now?” Beverly laughed and motioned for her to follow “we sure are, now come on!” 

When Beverly and Ryder had caught up with Jack, he had asked where Will was and Ryder answered that he was at the academy, they walked swiftly as Ryder took out her inhaler. preparing to take it.

When they arrived at the academy, Jack took a sharp turn into a classroom. “Will, there you are. And Dr. Lecter, what a surprise” Ryder peaked behind Beverly at Will and the tall man who stood next to him. 

She pursed her lips, she knew who he was, everybody who wanted a career in the university knew his name. He looked at Jack, then Beverly and then centered his attention on her as she avoided his eyes. “Would you care to help us catch the Ripper?” Jack offered to the doctor. 

Dr. Lecter smiled “how could I refuse” was his response. Jack looked at all of them “okay, then let’s go” he said walking swiftly out the classroom as Beverly followed and left Ryder looking from them to the two men in front of her. Will smiled, grabbed his coat and ushered her out of the classroom 

“Ryder, as you heard Jack say, this is Dr. Lecter. Dr. Lecter, this is Ryder Caeli” he put his coat on as they walked. She was sandwiched in between them right now and looked from Will to the doctor as he held out his hand and continued to follow behind Jack. It was safe to say that Ryder was currently star-struck. 

“Yes, Alana has mentioned you Ms. Caeli, it’s a pleasure” he gave her a heart stopping smile as she went to grab his hand and became embarrassed when she realized that she was still holding her inhaler. 

“Sorry” she held up the inhaler and put it into her pocked, then grabbed his hand. His hands were soft, warm and his fingers wrapped around her tiny hand as he smiled back at her. “You have nothing to be sorry about, taking your asthma medication is always a priority” he cocked his head and she let out an embarrassed laugh. 

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, doctor. I have read your journal on nature versus nurture and it was really well done” she winced on the inside, well done, Ryder, smooth transition. Will listened to the conversation and steered her in the direction of his car as they got in, driving after Jack. 

Dr. Lecter sat in the front seat and looked out the window “Ms. Caeli, if you don’t mind my curiosity or asking, how is your last name spelled?” he grabbed her attention from the backseat. She was caught off guard by the strange question but spelled out her name for him. 

“That’s Latin for air” he observed and she let out a chuckle. “Wow, learn new things every day. But I have to say that’s pretty ironic” Will looked in the review mirror “not in the slightest” he remarked sarcastically as Hannibal laughed while she stayed quiet.

When they arrived, they once again followed Jack who followed the owner of the ambulance company who said that the ambulance they were asking for hadn’t been in rotation. Jack countered that surveillance said it had been and sure enough, they came to the empty space that the owner looked at with disbelief, saying that it was there this morning. Beverly had offered that she could find it, since it had a digital trunk system. Ryder smiled broadly at her as she knew Beverly was in her element. Hannibal leaned over to Will and herself saying that he was learning so much, Ryder nodded her head in agreement.

Not 10 minutes later Beverly had located the van not far from their location and they quickly drove to the spot, Jack and Beverly held their guns to the ambulance as they opened it. Will, Ryder and Hannibal had gotten out and were watching from a distance until Jack’s voice boomed for Dr. Lecter’s help. He looked questioningly at Ryder and Will as they neared the ambulance with him. 

Ryder watched Hannibal observe the person who was poorly operated on and said he could stop the bleeding. Jack nodded his head and once Dr. Lecter had verbalized that he stopped it, Jack asked the man, Mr. Silvestri, to step out of the Vehicle. When Jack arrested him and walked him away, Will and herself walked closer to the van. When they neared, Ryder studied the doctor working on the man whose life was in Dr. Lecter’s hands—literally. 

She looked from the man and then traced the doctors intricately working hands up his forearms and then finally landed on his face as he looked up to her and over to Will. She shook her head and looked at her shoes, she squeezed Will’s arm as he continued staring and went back to Jack’s car to be driven home. She figured she better get away now, so that she wasn’t in the way—or clean up the drool that was coming from her as she watched the doctor work. Ryder took a couple of breaths to clear her mind.

It would be a couple of hours before she would get home, but when she went to sleep that night, her mind buzzed about with the happenings of the day and her meeting the doctor that published most of the articles she read. She fell asleep that night thinking of his hands, his intricate hands that wrapped around hers when he greeted her and the hands that saved that man’s life. She didn’t even notice that she had forgotten her inhaler in Will’s car, leaving the figure to place it in her coat as they exited her small apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

Ryder awoke that day refreshed, that was possibly the best night of sleep she had ever gotten and she wondered why as she got out of bed and showered. When she checked her phone, she received a message from Dr. Bloom saying Will was indisposed with a case that involved a cellist, but instead she was needed on another case that already had two dead. 

When she got to the department, she met the medical examiners who had just come back from taking evidence off a body for Wills case. They were going to the next scene where a man had died in his home, his family had found him. When they got there, Ryder had followed the medical examiners into the parking lot to the scene where a women collapsed and died. She watched as Jimmy, Brian and Beverly dusted and checked for more evidence while she stayed back watching and trying not to contaminate the scene. Jack had shown up a little while after to see how they were doing and then told Ryder to go home while autopsies were performed. 

But not long after, found herself in front of her door digging around in her pockets for her house key but instead found her inhaler. She exhaled in relief, she seemed to forget about it since yesterday and was thankful that it didn’t fall out. God, you are forgetful, it could get you in trouble one of these days, she told herself as she retrieved her key from her inside pocket and let herself in.

For the next day in a half, Ryder had worked on assignments for classes and even helped Alana sort out a new lesson plan that she was going to be teaching while Ryder was in the field. But later that night, she received a phone call from Jack saying that the cellist murder that Will was investigating had resulted in the murderer going after Dr. Lecter. 

As she hung up, Ryder shook off the shock and informed Will who had just been leaving, but was quick to change his mind as he asked Ryder and Alana if he could give them a ride to the scene but Dr. Bloom declined, saying that she would speak to him later and told them to wish Hannibal the best. Ryder wasn’t entirely sure what to say until her professor encouraged her to go and with that, Ryder and Will walked out of the department and towards his car, got in and drove down to the psychiatrist’s office. 

While on their drive, Ryder looked out the window, but knew it was a lost cause as it was pitch black outside. Her attention then turned to Will, but became concerned as Will winced every time the bright lights of a car had passed and even asked him if he was okay. He shook her off saying he was fine, making Ryder feel even more concerned until he looked over and gave her a lop-sided smile. 

When they arrived at the stoic building, they quickly got out of the vehicle, maneuvered through the many cars parked around and went into the building to find it filled with medical examiners and multiple police officers. While Will went over to Hannibal and Jack, Ryder looked around his office, it was magnificent. The whole place radiated a dark distinguished air, it was just as mysterious as the person who owned it. She looked up at the large wall of books above her while she walked around the office, being careful of the working people and the crime scene. She seemed to stop at the place where she heard investigators mention ‘Tobias Budge’ was killed by Dr. Lecter in self-defense; many scuff marks where all over the floor along with the blood of Lecter’s patient he had been seeing when Tobias has barged in. 

Her eyes came to rest on the wall that was closest to her, walking closer and noting the various artifacts that he had collected. My god, the man had been everywhere she looked at the pictures from France and Italy, he even had a picture of the Pyramids of Egypt. But what caught her attention was the little round table that held drawings, she sorted through them as she marveled at the intricate details on every person and place he drew. 

She pulled herself away from the immaculate artwork to go see the doctor himself as he sat at his desk, Will leaned against it. “Ms. Caeli, good to see you again” he gave her an easy smile, making the blood on his split lip stand out. 

“Good to see you too, I hope you’re not too hurt after what happened to you” she offered, he cocked his head and Will put his hands in his pockets. “Well, I’m just happy to be alive” he chuckled. 

“You should be, from the scuffing on the floor, it looks like it was a pretty rough fight” she said, Dr. Lecter had opened his mouth to answer but just then Jack had called everybody out, Ryder looked at him as he approached. “Ms. Caeli, you can go home, you too Will. Tomorrow’s another day” Jack patted her arm. She craned her head from his direction to look at Will who offered her a small smile and Dr. Lecter who inclined his head. “Indeed it is, Jack. It was nice seeing you again Ms. Caeli, Will” Dr. Lecter directed as she and Will walked out of the room, she waved them goodbye.


	5. Chapter 5

Ryder entered the department the next day, knowing the day would be busy. She had heard the medical examiners found another body and was going to head over once her and Alana were done talking about an assignment she had questions about. It was almost one in the afternoon when Jack came to get Alana and Ryder so that Jimmy and Brian could explain the information they found while performing autopsies on the bodies and possibly the causes of death. Ryder had a feeling that they weren’t just spur of the moment heart attacks Jack mentioned earlier as her and Alana walked into the lab to be greeted by the three examiners and Jack. 

Hannibal and Will turned up just as they were putting gloves on, and joined the conversation. Ryder looked at all three bodies lying peacefully on the medical examiner tables, while Jack was asking Dr. Bloom a question. Once he was done, Jack raised his eyebrows expectantly at both men, “so what did you find?” 

Brian walked up to the first victim, who looked to be in his 40’s. “Luke, Witman, he was 43 and other than what we found was in perfect health. It was a longer build-up of what was used, as you can see by the Jaundice and parts of the right arm and legs that are covered in a skin rash” Brain pointing at the parts of the body. 

“Everything points to Arsenic poisoning—” Beverly was interrupted by Jimmy “it’s easy to get, very effective as you can tell from our victim. Did you know it’s a common ingredient found in many household products like wallpaper and paints? One of the most notable figures in history who suffered from this is King George III of Britain.” Jack, Alana and Ryder looked towards Jimmy, giving him a questioning look, while Hannibal cocked his head. Jimmy held up his head, seeming very proud of himself for knowing the information. 

Jack rolled his eyes, bringing the conversation back “so what was it that killed him?” Beverly continued with the report “As I was saying, everything points to Arsenic. It was a low dose because of the skin changes, however, the patient must have upped his dosage that caused his death because his liver was pretty damaged and there was a lot of internal bleeding.” 

Brian pointed at the body again “cause of death was a seizure, went into shock and died. His family found him a week later.” Jack nodded his head in understanding. “Okay, what about the second victim?” 

Brain continued moving around the first table that held the first victim to the second. “Maya Ranner, 38. She was poisoned also, this time Strychnine was used. It targeted her Central Nervous System, which caused the muscles to contract at the same time and cause convulsions. She died of asphyxiation due to her respiratory system shutting down. She hadn’t taken the dosage long beforehand, she died in a parking lot, so 2-3 hours before” Brain finished. 

Dr. Bloom looked questioningly at Jack to which Will added “well, it would certainly be easy to get, Strychnine is commonly used in as pesticide, rat poison and found in heroine to sooth effects.” 

“And the third?” Alana crossed her arms walking to the third table slab. “Roland Lamb, 56. The last victim showed signs of dehydration and low blood pressure, which points to Ricin poisoning. He probably experienced a lot of vomit and diarrhea that caused the dehydration and died within a few days with the higher dosage. As a result, the liver and spleen shut down first, then the kidney’s stopped working and death. He died in front of his house.” Beverly concluded, she expectantly looked towards Jimmy. 

“Ricin is derived from the castor bean after they extract the oil. It’s stockpiled as chemical weapon by the U.S. and Russia, that’s how effective it is” Jimmy folded his hands behind his back. 

“Wow” Ryder let out a listless sigh, Jack nodded but then turned in Hannibal and Will’s direction. “So Will who would responsible for these type of poisonings?” Will weaved in-between the slabs, looking at the victims and then stopped in front of the second, contemplating Jack’s question. “Obviously, all the victims died via poisoning, that’s a given. However, when talking about dosage and how exactly the poison got into their systems, it sounds like it was ingested with all of them. Did they have any connecting medical conditions that they would need to take medication for?” Will asked, turning towards Brain and Jimmy. 

Brian picked up a chart “Victim one and two were on Trazodone and number three was on Bupropion” Brian said as he put it down. 

“Those are atypical antidepressants, so called ‘atypical because they don’t fit directly into a category of their own and work in unique ways” Dr. Lecter pointed out. 

“What kind of ways?” Jack asked. 

“Well, they start by effecting changes in brain chemistry and brain nerve circulatory that’s well known to regulate mood and relieve depression” Dr. Lecter answered smoothly and continued. “However, Bupropion is used to for an aide in a smoking cessation and Trazodone is used for insomnia.” Alana looked from Dr. Lecter to Jack worriedly. “Jack only doctors are allowed to prescribe prescriptions like these.” 

Ryder cocked her head, a question coming to mind “Who’s their primary care physician? Wouldn’t they be the ones to prescribe prescriptions like these?” Alana nodded her head and Beverly jumped on a computer while they awaited what she had to say. Finally, after what seemed like forever, she found the answer “a Dr. Melvin Reed, works at Polar Park hospital, but he doesn’t have business hours for Friday’s this month. Hold on let me find where he lives” Beverly typing franticly and Jimmy looked over her shoulder and got really excited, “Eureka! He’s located at 104th and Broadbendt Road” he said turning towards them as Beverly rolled her eyes and got out of the chair. 

Jack typed the address onto his phone and looked up “I’m calling a warrant, we need to arrest this guy as soon as possible I would like all of you to go with me, we leave in an hour in a half” he said putting his phone to his ear and walked away. 

Ryder turned towards Doctor’s Bloom and Lecter and Will, “he’s going to want you to come in with him when he makes the arrest” Alana said to Ryder and looked at Will. “I trust both of you will be carful?” Alana squeezed Ryder’s arm. 

Ryder nodded, “I’ll make sure I am” Ryder responded as Will put his hands in his pockets and agreed. Ryder understood that Jack wanted to get her an up close look of the people she would see on a day to day basis. 

Alana gave her and Will a hesitant look and then directed her gaze at Hannibal, who watched the exchange, then back at Ryder. “We’ll meet in Jack’s office at 3, then we’ll get suited up and in the cars to Dr. Reeds house. In the meantime, just try to relax.” Ryder smiled coyly at her, as Will answered for her “are you telling her that or yourself?” Dr. Bloom stuttered, embarrassed. She knew that Ryder could do this and Jack had told her ahead of time that he wanted Ryder with him and Will when they apprehending this suspect. 

Alana’s light laugh had subsided, “you know what I mean.” She checked her watch, “Hannibal and I have to go and get some paper work together, I’ll see you soon” she said as she walked away with Dr. Lecter. Ryder nodded her head, and looked towards Will who stepped into the hallway and walked away. She directed her attention to Jimmy and Brian who were currently getting their medical examining kits together for evidence, bid them a “goodbye” and walked out of the examining room. She leaned against a wall and searching for her inhaler and took her medicine before they would go. 

She would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous, she had only heard about this kind of stuff in newspapers, lectures and other people with more experience, it was a little intimidating to say the least. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she saw Jack coming down the hallway, seemingly looking for her. She rushed to put her inhaler in her pocket as he stopped in front of her. “I need to catch you up on a few things before we go, come with me” he started walking away and she complied taking long strides to keep up with the agent. Not hearing or noticing that her inhaler fell out of her pocket and onto the ground behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

As she was caught up with the behavior that was expected and the rules and regulations that were to be followed she felt she was ready. As everybody gathered in agent Crawford’s office, he went over what he had told Ryder, suited up and with that they set out for the parking lot. 

She was lost in her thoughts again when a gentle hand caught her arm. Ryder was met with an older gentleman in a janitor uniform. “Ms, I saw you drop this earlier. I’ve been trying to find you to return it” he smiled, holding out her inhaler. Astonished, Ryder stared at it, eventually taking it from his hand once her brain started working again. 

“Oh my god! I didn’t even notice it missing.” She squinted to look at his name on his uniform, “thanks, Tucker” he smiled at her and bowed, then turned his back and wheeled his mop bucket away. She internally scolded herself before she turned to meet Will who asked who she was talking to. She laughed his question off and said the man had returned her inhaler to her and with that, they quickly walked to catch up with their team.


	7. Chapter 7

It was a quiet car ride and Ryder’s nerves were acting up with apprehending the Doctor and almost losing her inhaler. When they got there, many medical examiners, police officers and SWAT team members were on stand-by, it was a lot to take in. 

Ryder knew her, Will and Jack would be going in soon, so she took out her inhaler and took her medicine. Jack got out of the car with Will following and signaled for Ryder to come as she put away her inhaler once more. It didn’t escape her notice when she shut the car door and turned around that both doctors were watching her. Alana’s eye’s squinted anxiously, while Hannibal nodded his head towards her. She gave them a wave, then followed Jack and Will into the house, guns at the ready and members of the FBI following in close behind. 

As they entered the house, the members went in all directions, but Jack signaled Will and Ryder to follow him to the brightly lit kitchen. As they entered, he was in plain sight—Dr. Melvin Reed—washing dishes at the sink, almost as if he wasn’t worried with the present situation at all. 

“Dr. Melvin Reed, I want you to put what’s in your hands down and raise your hands slowly above your head” Jack spoke in a commanding voice, gun trained on the man. 

Ryder and Will held their guns on the man too, staring at him. At the same time, Ryder tried to ignore the headache that seemed to come on. 

He did what Jack said and raised his hands above his head, soapy bubbles pouring down his arms. He said nothing but did look around the room at the team members who surrounded him at all sides, then directed it back to Jack and Will, then finally at Ryder. She tried not to shiver with disgust at the blank stare 

Jack stepped forward and grabbed Dr. Reed’s hands and turning him around to put the cuffs on him. Ryder slowly put her gun down as Jack handed Dr. Reed over to several FBI agents who escorted him out, followed by a few SWAT members. She looked up at the men next to her, fighting the sudden feeling of vertigo the occasion brought. Jack smiled widely, smacking her on the back and Will gave a half smile.

She returned a lopsided grin back to him and they filed out of the country house together. As soon as they got outside, Ryder saw both doctors making their way up to them. In the meantime, she pulled out her inhaler and held it in her hand, preparing to take her medicine again. “How was it?” Alana inquired. 

“He went quietly” Will answered back, looking at the forest that surrounded them. Alana smiled widely at all of them and Ryder tried to return it, but a burning sensation—like she had just ran a mile—had become noticeable in her chest and her head started throbbing. She shut her eyes and rubbed her temple, her skin becoming pale. 

Hannibal had noticed Ryder’s uncomfortable behavior “Ms. Caeli, are you alright?” he questioned. They watched as the rest of the color drained from her face as she brought the inhaler to the front of her body. That’s when things started moving in slow motion, it was just like one of the scenes someone would see in a movie—Oh no. 

Confusion had overcome Ryder as she slowly looked down at her inhaler in her hand, took off the cap and looked at the canister. Jack, Alana, Hannibal and Will had leaned in to see what she was looking at. Her lip began trembling as she looked up at them, no was all she could think as the world started to dance around her. Her vision going blurry, then getting dark as it strived to confiscate her sight. 

She panicked, taking a step and falling forwards into somebody’s arms. 

She felt like she was falling into a black hole a face looking down at her. 

She tried gripping the person’s coat, compelling them to look at what she was witnessing. 

“See?” her body shook.

She looked around in the darkness for another human being, but was met with blackness. 

“See?” She repeated, now hyperventilating.

She looked up towards the person looking down at her. She knew that face, she’d seen him before. But she was so tired, she wanted to sleep, the name was on the tip of her tongue. 

“Tucker.” and with that everything went black.


	8. Chapter 8

Everything moved so fast, one moment Jack, Will, Alana and Hannibal were celebrating. The next Ryder's skin took on a lighter hue and looked to her inhaler, took a step and fell into Hannibal’s arms. He seemed to strengthen his grip as she started shaking. 

Ryder looked up, to where Hannibal supported her, Will appeared panicked along with Alana and Jack who bent over to see if she was okay. 

“See?” she said staring up at the sky, she was hyperventilating. “See?” she repeated gasping for breath. Will’s eye’s watered as the memory of Garret Jacob Hobbes last words came rushing back, he took a step away to separate himself.

Hannibal lowered her onto the ground noting that her eyes looked glassy. Jack bent down, to hear what she was saying, but didn’t miss the soft whisper that escaped her mouth, giving him chills. “Tucker.” This was the last thing she said before Ryder completely shut her eyes and started convulsing. 

Will took a another step backwords just as Hannibal shoved Jack out of the way, but pushed Alana towards Ryder, telling her to support Ryder’s head. “Whatever you do, do not hold her down or put anything in or near her mouth. We have to let the convulsions subside” he calmly stood, checked his watch then directed his gaze on the girl convulsing on the ground. 

Alana supported her head in her lap as she heard her strangled gasps and watched the uncontrolled movement of Ryder’s limbs. Alana’s lip trembled, she knew she could do nothing but watch, which worsened her mood and brought tears to her eyes. She reflected on the reassurance she provided Jack that her student would be okay and now she was eating her words as her student was convulsing in her hands. 

In the meantime Jack stood dumbfounded, a hand over his mouth, eyes wide and standing stock still in complete shock; the only one in this scenario who knew what to do was Hannibal, and even he looked flustered. 

After a minute her convulsions stopped, but she still twitched. Hannibal checked his watch again and then dropped to her side, opening her mouth and checking for any obstruction of her airways. He then put two fingers to her neck and checked her pulse, its beat sluggish. “Jack, I need a medic” Hannibal spoke coolly as he pulled lightly at the skin around her eyes, trying to look for a response, he could still hear her raspy breath. Hannibal turned to Will and asked to help him turn her over, even though she was a petite girl; they put their hands beneath Ryder and rolled her so she was on her side. Hannibal hoped her breathing would get better, but he knew it would be a lost cause when he heard her struggling for breath. 

“We need a medic, NOW!” Hannibal commanded, looking over his shoulder at the group of people who had gathered but still hung back to give room. He turned back to look at Ryder, knowing, with her asthma, this would do irrevocable damage to her body—if it hadn’t already. Just as he was thinking this, she stopped breathing altogether, this caught Hannibal’s mediate attention “Ryder, Ryder stay with me. If you can hear my voice, stay with me, Ryder!” he clutched her face between his hands and checking for her pulse, but there was none. Hannibal immediately began to begin chest compressions, feeling her bones grind beneath his palms as he pushed against her chest. 

Alana looked frantically at Hannibal, then to Jack and Will, tears cascading down her face. “I need an AED unit now!” Jack’s voice boomed, obviously at the end of his rope. Finally, Medics were seen pushing through the crowd then rushed over, bringing a defib unit along. The fist EMT arrived and placed the AED at Hannibal’s side and he bent down near Ryder’s head and pushed a bag mask to her mouth as Hannibal counted to thirty each time, where the wheezy sound the air hissed.

The EMT took over chest compressions as he handed the air bag to Alana as Hannibal unpacked the AED, set it on the ground next to him. He turned it on then began ripping the top part of Ryder’s shirt open to allow him to put the defibrillator pads on her chest, silently thanking the girl for not wearing an underwire bra. Hannibal’s deft hands worked to release the pads from the packaging and stick them on the corresponding parts of Ryder’s chest. He looked up quickly telling everybody not to touch her until she was stabilized, which made Alana set down the air bag and back away. 

When the machine was done ‘analyzing’ and the shock deployed, there was still a flat line. He then hit the button again, as the cycle of chest compressions and air bag squeezes continued. This time Hannibal let out a breath, seeing a ‘no shock advised.’ He felt her carotid artery and was relieved when he felt a series of beats. Alana and Will who had been watching, let out a short breath. Hannibal ripped the pads off her and turned around, “we need to get her to the hospital right away, otherwise she will suffer from respiratory failure.” The medic, who were standing by, seemed a little shocked at the man who saved the girl, but with his explanation he went to the other side of her as another EMT hurried to them, preparing to lift her onto the stretcher. 

Once they got her onto it, Hannibal stood up to follow next to her as they carried her into the ambulance, Jack and Alana not far behind. While they carefully put her in the vehicle, Hannibal and Alana turned to face Jack. “You two, go with her” Jack pointed at Hannibal then looked at Alana. Hannibal nodded as he boarded the ambulance and gave Alana a hand as the EMT closed the door. 

Will walked up to where Jack was standing and could see them putting an oxygen mask on Ryder before they shut the doors completely. The sirens came on, flashing white and red and then the ambulance sped away, leaving Jack and Will in its dust. 

Jack let out a sigh and looked up at the sky, “Keep her safe” he said to himself as he closed his eyes; Will was still in silence with how quickly everything happened. Jack then turned towards Will and they looked behind them to be met with a broken-hearted Jimmy and a concerned Brian.

“Will she be okay?” Jimmy asked Jack. 

“I don’t know” Jack said shaking his head dejectedly and looking down. Brian stared out into the darkness of the night where the ambulance went, its sirens still could be heard and its lights a beckon in the dark. 

The four men were quiet for a couple of minutes, Jack rubbing his eyes, until he spoke up. “Before she passed out, she said a name” this captured Brian and Jimmy attention. “What was the name?” Jimmy rushed out. 

“‘Tucker’” Jack and Will said at the same time. Will put his hands in his pockets, “I should’ve known, she stopped before she came here and was talking to someone who she claimed ‘found her inhaler and returned it.’” 

Jack’s mouth was open with surprise. Brian walked away to where Ryder had been laying, putting on latex gloves and grabbing an evidence bag out of his kit he packed, he crouched down and picked up the cap and inhaler and put it into the baggie to be tested. 

“Be careful with that” Jack said, pointing at the bag. “Don’t worry I will” Brain replied looking at the inhaler the baggie contained. Jack angled his head towards to the car, “come on, we should get to the hospital to meet Alana and Hannibal.” Will followed and got into the passenger seat as the two medical examiners got into the back of the black SUV to drive to the hospital where they all prayed Ryder would still be alive.


	9. Chapter 9

It was approximately a week that Ryder Caeli was dead to the world. A week that weighed heavy on many shoulders. She had woken early, her blue eyes squinted at the early light that streamed through her window. As her eyes adjusted, she took in her surroundings one at a time. She was lying in a bed, in a hospital because it smelled like disinfectant and there was many machines beeping as well as hooked up to her body, especially the oxygen tank located on her right. 

Just as she regarded her surroundings, a nurse came into the room with a chart and smiled “you’re up” she said simply as she checked the machine readings. 

“What time is it and where am I? What happened?” Ryder questioned, not remembering at the moment. 

“It’s 5:30 a.m. in Baltimore Maryland. As for what happened, I think you need to wait for your friends to get here to explain that. You’ve had a lot of visitors.” Ryder mulled over the information in her head, trying to rack her memories for information, but she wasn’t getting anything. “Thanks” Ryder said as the nurse left the room. 

She was in shock and tried not to panic, somebody had to come see her soon, right? This is the state she stayed in until 8 am when a doctor came in to check her vitals, as he left the room, he inquired that she had some visitors.   
Finally she thought as she awaited their presence. Jack, Alana and Hannibal entered the room, where was Will? Everybody gave hesitant smiles, but there was an undertone of bad news, Ryder could feel it. 

“It’s good to see you back in the land of the living” Jack cocked his head, making Ryder grin. “How are you feeling?” Alana asked as her and Jack pulled up a chair to her left and Hannibal sat at her right. 

“I’ve been better” Ryder answered honestly. They all gave her sympathetic looks but the hesitation was still there. “Do you guys mind telling me what happened?” Ryder confessed, not wasting any time to get to the point. 

Jack glanced towards Hannibal, “what was your last memory before you blacked out? Then we can go from there.” 

Ryder looked to her lower left, “I blacked out? When did I black out?” she said incredulously. 

“So not much” Jack mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Alana spoke quietly “it was right after you and Jack came out of Dr. Reed’s house. You didn’t say much but then you looked at your inhaler and suddenly you went pale, started hyperventilating.” 

It was quiet, then Hannibal spoke “you tried walking, but fell and started shaking and hyperventilating. Your body started convulsing and that’s when you blacked out. After that your heart went through cardiac arrest and had to be restarted. It was imperative to get you to the hospital.” 

Ryder stared at Hannibal, horror on her face. “Oh my god” she covered her mouth with her hand, “how the hell am I alive?” 

Alana spoke quietly again “Hannibal restarted your heart. He saved your life. We both escorted you to the hospital in an ambulance. From there, doctors worked on you, getting the Cyanide out of your system.” Ryder turned her head to look at Hannibal, who was watching her closely. 

“Cyanide? That’s a poison.” Ryder absentmindedly stated. They all looked at each other, Jack speaking up again, “do you remember the name ‘Tucker?’” Ryder nodded her head, a blurry face coming into her vision. 

“Dr. Reed wasn’t working alone, he had a partner—a janitor—by the name of Tucker Holler who worked cleaning our department building. Tucker had the necessary knowledge, equipment, and materials to turn the poisons into lethal pills for the doctor’s patients. We looked into the name you gave us before you blacked out and the description from Will, it led straight to him.” Jack spoke softly. 

Ryder was astonished at hearing this, she remembered snippets of memories, but she did remember him giving her the inhaler she ‘lost’. Alana watched the emotions play out on Ryder’s face, “does any of this sound familiar?” 

“Yeah, before we drove to the house, he stopped me and gave me back my inhaler. He told me he saw it fall out of my pocket and then Will came to get me and we caught up with you guys.” Jack sat back in his chair, taking in a sharp breath. 

“I didn’t think anything of it. I was just grateful that somebody was kind enough to return it to me” Ryder’s eyes burned at her own stupidity. Hannibal listened to her words and shook his head, trying to relieve her. “You weren’t supposed to be the fourth victim. You were the opportunity that Mr. Holler took upon himself.” 

Alana grabbed her hand “it’s not your fault. In fact you helped us catch him.” Ryder didn’t smile back, she was too conflicted. In the middle of the conversation, Jack’s phone started ringing and he let out an annoyed sigh, “I’m sorry I have to take this” he rose out of his chair and walked outside the room. There was a beat and Alana started talking again. “There’s something else you should know Ryder—” at this moment Jack leaned into the room and asked if he could borrow Dr. Bloom, which left Dr. Lecter. 

Ryder watched Dr. Bloom’s walk out of the room, wishing she would stay so she wouldn’t be left with the esteemed doctor. It made her feel so little to be this unimportant student who was stupid enough to loose her inhaler and not connect the dots to the janitor. Ryder played with her hands to avoid the doctor’s eyes, she knew he was observing her and instead asked him about what Dr. Bloom was going to say. 

Hannibal gazed at her, taking in her wide eyes “the poison was put in your inhaler, and when Cyanide is inhaled—’” 

“—it has more serious effects than being digested” Ryder finished for him, she shook her head, “sorry, go on.” 

Hannibal inclined his head. “Some of those effects you experienced were cardiac arrest, hyperventilation and with asthma it was very hard on your lungs. I didn’t personally see it happen, however while the doctors were treating you, you experienced respiratory failure. As a result of this massive damage, your lungs are working at half what they’re supposed to be. With your asthma, you’re going to need an oxygen tank for the time being until you can retrain your lungs to intake the same amount of air they could before.” 

Ryder closed her eyes trying to breathe steadily, taking in the information. She didn’t notice Jack and Alana walk in, watching her reaction. “Ryder are you okay?” Alana asked anxiously. Ryder didn’t answer, all this information was too much and Hannibal noticed the absence of her attention. 

He slowly rose out of his chair and turned to Jack and Alana. “She needs some time to digest this information. We should come back later.” They all looked at her and acquiesced to Hannibal’s advice. As they started walking out the door of the hospital room, Hannibal paused, putting his hand on the door frame and eyeing the girl in the hospital bed. Her head was turned towards the window, lost in thought. But from where he stood, Hannibal could see tears streaming down her face and felt a semblance of sadness for the girl. 

“Don’t go inside Ryder. Inside is dangerous, where our demons lay waiting for us to return to them.” He regarded her for a few more seconds before he sighed and walked out the door following his colleagues. At this point, Ryder looked towards to empty doorway that was vacated by the doctor. She still heard his voice echo through her mind, her eyes slowly closing as fresh tears poured down her face.


	10. Chapter 10

It had been another week that Ryder was kept in the hospital, what with all the therapy she had to undergo and the stress of being away from her internship and school work. She finally exited the hospital, lugging her oxygen tank after her as she got in her taxi. She thanked god or whomever that the doctors told her that the tank wasn’t permanent to her life, but she had to have it on her for the next couple weeks until her therapy restored or got her used to her new lifestyle. 

Ryder smiled at the memory of her mom calling her in a panic and asking if she needed to come home. She had reassured her mom that she was indeed okay and that the damage was not as bad as the doctors made it out to be. She inwardly winced as her mom scoffed at her words, but was glad that her mom had let up by making her promise that she would call every day or come home if she felt unsafe. 

She looked out the window and thought of home; she missed her family, but was ultimately glad that she was finally being independent and getting somewhere with her life. Speaking of life, not even out of the hospital more than 5 minutes and Alana had texted her asking if she was alright. She frowned at her phone, telling the driver the directions for the FBI department. 

On the way there, she thought back to when Alana told her what happened to Will while she was indisposed. Apparently, he had a mental breakdown and was now convicted of the 5 murders the team had investigated earlier. She was extremely confused, she didn’t believe Will to be a killer, but got even more confused when Alana had told her that Will believed Hannibal had done it to him. 

She was shaken out of her thoughts as the car came to a stop and the cabby asked for money. She walked into the building and found Dr. Bloom waiting for her, she hugged Ryder when she arrived near her side. Ryder noticed she looked more tired than the last time she saw her. 

They both walked down the hallway as Dr. Bloom debriefed her on what happened while Ryder was recovering in the hospital. Will’s trial was set in the next couple of days, but for now, everybody was focusing on a new case. Alana said she’d be working close with Jack, Dr. Lecter and the medical examiners for the time being while she was busy on Will’s case. 

“How is Will?” Ryder had interrupted. The doctor pursed her lips, “I was just going to see him, right now. Did you want to come with?” To this Ryder smiled and followed after her to go to the Baltimore State Hospital. 

When they arrived Dr. Chilton looked at both the women “Ms, Caeli, I am so glad to see you walking again after your incident” he looked at the oxygen tank Ryder dragged after her. “Just know if you ever want to—” Alana cut him off “leave her alone Frederick, she’s been through enough.” 

He looked embarrassed, but it quickly disappeared. "So much for cordialities." he sniffed, but led them down to cells where the ‘inmates’ were kept. “I will trust that you already know the rules” he looked from Alana to Ryder and walked away. Ryder proceeded after her professor to the end of the hallway to the man inside the cage. 

He turned around and cracked a smile when he saw Ryder, she went to the bars but Alana’s voice halted her movements, “stop at the white line.” She turned to regard her professor’s cold behavior, but gave Will a sorry look. 

He pursed his chapped lips and inhaled, “how are you, I haven’t seen you in weeks” he stepped closer. “Well, my lungs are working at half the capacity they’re supposed to, hence this beauty” she pointed to the tank “other than that, therapy all the time and managing to get back on my feet.” He gave a genuine smile but then frowned when Alana cleared her throat. 

"I've been taking care of everything like you said." Alana folded her hands.

He looked past Ryder to Alana as she grabbed his attention “How are the dogs?” he asked her. 

“Good, well, Winston keeps running away, but the others are adjusting.” 

“Where does Winston go?” he crossed his arms. 

“Home” she replied. 

“Well, he’s not gonna find me there.” 

“Not today, but maybe someday he might. With the right defense” she hinted as Ryder dragged an extra chair over to listen to the conversation. He turned his body “I don’t currently have legal representation.” 

“You keep firing your lawyers.” He took a few steps in the dark cell, “yeah, they’re the FBI’s lawyers.” 

Alana cocked her head “then I’ll find you a lawyer who’s not affiliated with the FBI” he paced “what defense do you think I have?” 

She crossed her legs “automatism, allows a defendant to argue they shouldn’t be held criminally liable for their actions due to unconsciousness.” 

“Unconsciousness?” he questioned. 

“Will, your mind was on fire. You had no control of what you were doing, much less remember doing it.” Ryder tried to make sense of what Alana had told her beforehand and what they were talking about now. 

“What if I could remember? What if I could remember how this was done to me?” 

“What if you could remember how you did it?” she clarified. 

“You believe Hannibal” he said dejected. 

“I believe the Will Graham standing in front of me now is incapable of that violence. I believe you lost your mind, and for periods of time, you weren’t the Will Graham I know.” He touched his facial hair, “I hear Hannibal’s voice in the well of my mind. I hear him saying words that he’s never said to me. It isn’t my imagination. It’s something else” he paused “have you ever helped a patient recover memories?” 

Alana squinted her eyes and gave a curt nod. With that the guards came to escort him to a room where they would try this ‘recovery’. Ryder decided to watch from outside the room as Alana had a lighted pendulum swinging back and forth, putting Will in a trace. It was like looking through a discorded looking glass in an alternate reality. Ryder was sure more things would start making sense but right now everything seemed surreal that a man who she respected was now convicted of murder. She agreed with her professor that the man they were talking to didn’t commit those murders, but the catch was that Ryder didn’t see his descend into madness, she only heard different stories about it. She didn’t see him when he was broken. But it was odd that he was dead set on Hannibal being the one to frame him. This was the very man who had saved her life. She watched as he twitched and came to in a panicked frenzy, sadness overcoming her.

\---

Ryder watched out the window as Dr. Bloom drove away, remembering what Will said about the holes in memories. She was experienced the same feeling. 

Ryder didn’t try asking what Will saw, she didn’t really want to; his mind was a never ending labyrinth of horrors. On their way back, Alana asked her if she was alright, Ryder only smiled. “Yeah, it just sucks seeing someone you care about suffer” she said looking out the window. Alana sniffed “you are definitely right.” 

When they got back to the department, Jack had caught them in the hallway and told them to come into his office. He handed them invitations to a ‘celebration’ that was attended by the department every year. He gave Ryder a sheepish look, “I know it’s a lot to spring on you right after you got out of the hospital.” 

Ryder looked at the invitation with dread, “when I’m saying this, I’m not trying to be rude but, am I supposed to go? I mean I’m actually just here for an internship, not nearly as important as you guys.” Alana let out an airy laugh, “it’s really not as bad as you would think, you are under no obligation to go since you are a student, but if you can come, I think it would be great experience for you.” Jack agreed “we would love it if you came” he smiled. 

Ryder turned the invitation over in her hand, trying to decide. “Alright” she hesitated “its black tie” she confirmed and they both nodded their heads. “Okay, sounds like a plan” she smiled, putting the invitation back in its envelop. A pit in her stomach formed when she noticed that this ‘event’ was in three days and she didn’t have a dress.


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, Ryder went into the examining room to get caught up with what the team found on the new case she was thrown into. She stepped into the lab area with Jack and everybody smiled broadly when she entered. “Well look who decided to show up” Beverly teased as she hugged her, “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you.” Jimmy and Brian held up their hands to wave, but didn’t hug to due to the fact that they were just touching the bodies. 

“Alright” Jack smiled at Ryder “let’s get this show on the road.” 

Brian tapped the neck of one of the bodies with his pen “dental and medical records placed the six. All adults, both men and women, different ages, different ethnicities all from different states. Nothing in common except they all disappeared from their homes with their vehicles.” Jimmy added that they were all found with large amounts of heroin in their systems. 

Ryder put on a plastic glove “enough to be the cause of death?” she asked and pressed down on the skin of one of the bodies. 

“And then some” JImmy answered for her. 

Jack neared one of the bodies and touched the skin, “what’s this strange skin discolorations on these bodies?” He directed towards Beverly who was looking at a clipboard. 

She turned around “we found traces of BHT, which is a color preservative.” Jack nodded his head “he wants them to look alive.” 

Brian leaned down towards the body “shot them up with a little China white, injected them with preservatives, then filled the bodies with silicone so they don’t emaciate. Then he seals them, with, like, a hard resin shell.” After Brian finished, Ryder inclined her head and felt the little holes that were found on the skin, Jack must’ve been wondering the same thing when he asked what the puncture wounds were. 

Ryder nodded her head along to Jack’s question, “they look like eyelets, like something was threaded through. Maybe strung up, mounted, presented?” Everybody looked at her, Brian pointed at her with his pen, ”that was exactly what I was thinkig." Ryder gave him a broad smile. 

Jack steered the conversation back to the topic “so how’s he choosing them?” 

“We got nothing, appears to be random, but if this is the discard pile, I’m curious to know how many were keepers” Beverly set down her clipboard. 

Jack nodded his head as Ryder looked from Beverly to Jack “alright I want a missing persons that disappeared along with their vehicles in the neighboring states. Got it?” they all nodded their heads as Ryder followed Jack out of the room, disposing of her rubber glove. 

\---

The next day, Alana had asked her if she wanted to accompany Hannibal and herself to go see Will again. Ryder agreed, knowing that it was going to be heart-wrenching seeing her friend behind bars again. When they got there, they met Hannibal inside, he looked stunned to see Ryder with Alana. “Ms. Caeli, I did not know Alana would be bringing you” he smiled at her “but alas, it is a good thing to see you.” She returned the smile “you too, doctor.” 

Alana grinned, but it quickly disappeared as they headed down the stairs to meet Will,. Ryder could feel Hannibal watching her, probably so she didn’t trip over oxygen tank, but her attention was pulled to Will who appeared to be in a dunking cage of some sorts. 

when they reached him, they stood, waiting for him to talk. Will gave a heavy sigh, “I’ve lost the plot. I am the unreliable narrator of my own story” he looked down. 

“You have an incomplete self. There are pieces of you, you can’t see” Hannibal offered. 

Will shivered, “I’m afraid to see, I don’t know who I am anymore, and I’m afraid.”   
\  
“Without remembering you’re seized by something imagined” Hannibal offered as Will scoffed. “I don’t know which is worse. Believing I did it or believing that you did it, and did this to me.” 

“Hannibal isn’t responsible, Will. And neither are you. We have to get to the truth of what happened, it’s the only way you can move forward” Alana said empathetically. 

It was silent as Will struggled for words. “I felt so betrayed by you. Betrayal was the only thing that felt real to me. I trusted you and I needed to trust you.” 

“and you can trust me” Hannibal compelled. 

“I’m very confused” Will whimpered. Ryder felt her mouth go dry, “of course you are” she said quietly. Will turned his head towards her and it was then that Ryder would remember the face of that broken man that stared back at her.

“Will, let us help you. Let me help you” Hannibal cocked his head. And that’s when Will started to lose it, he was huffing and tears were falling down his face “I need your help.” 

Ryder whispered to Dr. Bloom that she’d be in the car, and with that she turned and walked away. Alana told her that if any point she was uncomfortable she could excuse herself, and right now seeing a man who looked like Will but wasn’t him, was making her have a panic attack. As she got in the car, she thanked Alana for it being unlocked and took out her inhaler to use it, taking deep breaths to calm herself. 

\---

When Ryder had gotten to the department the next morning, she walked in right as Dr. Lecter was talking to Jack. Jack gave her a quick smile and told them to come down to the morgue for an analysis on a new body they discovered. 

When they got there, Ryder put on a glove, like she did the other morning and looked at what Jimmy was doing. “His name is Roland Umber, same profile as the other victims. Lived alone, disappeared from home, had a large dose of heroin in his system” 

Jack bent over to examine the body, “this victim wasn’t unstrung, he was ripped from his moorings” Jack observed and Hannibal added “whatever his imperfection, it was enough to aggravate the killer into tearing him down.” 

Ryder had inquired to Beverly where he was found “he was discarded in a tributary over 400 miles away from anything that feeds into the dam where the first victims were found.” 

Hannibal considered her statement “like dandelion seeds, casting bodies in every direction but his own.” 

“Very poetic” Jimmy voiced. 

Jack walked into the corner to think as Brian talked “the buffeting in the current causes so many postmortem injuries, it’s impossible to tell them from the ones they got when they were alive.” 

As Brian explained, Ryder couldn’t help but notice Hannibal trying to get out of way, but almost running into Brian and backed up into Beverly. Jack asked him to join him in the corner, out of the way. 

Dr. Lecter brushed off the clumsy interaction and continued talking while Ryder bit her lip to keep from smirking when she noticed Beverly was openly smiling and right at her. Ryder busied herself by looking down to investigate a body that nobody was around. “There may be trace evidence preserved in the craquelure” his accented voice echoed through the room. 

Both Jimmy and Ryder looked up; Jimmy clearly confused and Ryder who was startled by the familiar word. “What?” Jimmy questioned at the same time Ryder let out a breath as she remembered that exact term from an drawing and painting class she took in college. 

“Craquelure, it’s French word. Usually it's used to describe the cracks that appear on an oil painting as it dries and becomes inflexible with age” she looked up from the cracks on the body to find everybody looking at her in surprise. 

Hannibal grinned fondly at her and added “cracks aren’t always weaknesses. A life lived accrues in the cracks.” Beverly nodded her head “could be something in there, fiber, debris, might help track where the bodies were before they got dumped.” 

Jack got impatient “what do the victims have in common?” and Beverly smiled “what if it isn’t what they have in common? What if it’s what makes them different? Each of these people has a slightly different flesh tone. Could be like a color palette” she finished. 

Ryder raised an eyebrow at her friend, that was really good observation and Hannibal thought so too as he pointed out that it was like Will was in the room. Beverly winced as Jack agreed and then asked her to follow him out. The medical examiner cast a look to Ryder who shrugged her shoulder.

Ryder put an uncovered hand to her forehead, she knew Beverly had gone to see Will. She must have talked to him about the case because it was obvious that was something Will would say when looking at evidence. She sighed as she hoped Beverly wasn’t getting into too much trouble, thank goodness it’s Friday, not so much that the celebration was tomorrow evening though.


	12. Chapter 12

Ryder looked at the outside of the building, dread in her stomach; she hated big, fancy events. But she said she would go and she was already there and her team would be expecting her. She hung her head in defeat as she walked towards the opening of the doors, giving her invite to the man holding a shiny brass tray. As she entered, she could hear faint orchestra music and at the same time, noticed many men and women who were elegantly and professionally dressed and much older than her—just a girl playing at being an adult Ryder thought as she neared the opening to the second floor, the music becoming loud.

Ryder felt a twitch of nervousness, she hadn’t brought her oxygen tank—which she was sure she was going to be asked about—and she was in a dress, two things that she felt immense anxiety about. While in her head, she hadn’t noticed an attendant waiting patiently for her coat. Ryder blushed, said an embarrassed “sorry” and gave the last piece of her armor away—she felt naked, utterly naked—she hated the feeling. Playing with her black clutch, she walked to the railings hearing the 'click' of her heals against the marble flooring and looked out at the huge ballroom below. The first thought that came to her was the scene from Beauty and the Beast. 

She laughed to herself, “we’re hardly in a movie” she muttered. Still marveling over the huge room, all Ryder could do was look in awe around her; everything looked like it was expensive and drenched in gold, which Ryder took note of not to bump into or break anything. While walking to the descending steps from the second floor to the ball room, she traced her pointer finger along the mahogany, knowing that if she went down them, her colleagues would be able to see her right away. Speaking of, she could see Doctor’s Lecter and Bloom, Jack and his wife, Jimmy and his husband, Brian with his girlfriend and Beverly with her boyfriend where she stood at the top of the stairs. 

With a sigh, she put her head down, held onto the railing and looked at her feet descending the stairs. She could feel eyes on her, whether they were people she knew or didn’t. “Please, just don’t trip” she said to herself, looking up as she was halfway and finding that she was right, all her colleagues were looking at her. 

Surprisingly, Dr. Lecter excused himself and walked towards her, holding out his hand to meet her own as she neared the end of the steps. She stopped on the last stair—odd, she thought, but who was she to turn down a perfect gentleman—and gave him her hand that had just been clutching onto the railing, silently pleading she didn’t have sweaty hands. 

He gave her an easy smile and said in his accented voice “don’t be nervous.” Oh god, was it that obvious? She thought as a light blush came to her cheeks—the reaction was not ignored by Hannibal. Great, she just embarrassed herself in front of the esteemed doctor who was dressed in a dark burgundy suite, with a black shirt underneath and checkered tie and also happened to look very attractive. 

As they walked back to the group, she got many hugs from Jack, Jimmy, Brian, Beverly and Dr. Bloom and was introduced to their companions, who Ryder thought were absolutely lovely people. As they made conversation, Ryder tuned in and out of both conversations going on, one with Jack speaking to Jimmy, Brian and his girlfriend about how he met his wife and the other with Hannibal talking to their wives and Beverly about an opera he had just attended. 

Alana stood next to Ryder in a dark red evening dress (they were finally the same height with Ryder wearing heels). Alana smiled at her but then cocked her head towards Ryder, wonder in her eyes. “Ryder, where’s your oxygen tank?” she asked worriedly. This caught the attention of everybody in the group, it was like both stories ended just in time for her to talk about why she hadn’t brought it. 

“Yes, I did notice also and I was going to ask” Jack added, he looked serious. Ryder glanced down at her black heals and up to everyone’s worried gaze, but caught Hannibal’s. She took a measured breath, careful that she didn’t choke or have an asthma attack on the spot. 

“I’m afraid it didn’t go with my dress, dull silver and green is not a good match.” This seemed to release some of the tension that had built and even made Jimmy and Brian chuckle, Beverly patted her back. Jack shook his head, trying to maintain his seriousness, but Dr. Bloom cocked her head again and lightly touched her arm “please be careful tonight then.” 

“We don’t want anything happening to you” Jack added. Beverly cut in sarcastically “well, I think it’s a little too late for that” this raised some eyebrows, but surprisingly, Ryder laughed at her friends comment. 

Hannibal interjected in the conversation, “Jack, Alana, I do believe she is in capable hands, after all, she has many doctors around her” he said well naturedly. Ryder looked at Dr. Lecter then at Dr. Bloom and Jack. She squeezed Dr. Bloom’s arm “my doctor said I could have it off for some periods of time. If I feel like I’m in danger at any point, I’ll be sure to let you know. The only thing I have to refrain from tonight is dancing. But I think that’s actually a good thing, I’m a terrible dancer” Ryder said looking around at the laughing people. She had successfully relieved the tension, although Hannibal only wore a soft smirk on his lips. 

When everyone started talking again, Jack announced that it was getting close to supper and that they should find the table. He led the way as he put a loving hand to the small of his wife’s back and lead her to the table where they were to be seated. This caused everybody to follow suite: Dr. Bloom was engrossed in a conversation with Dr. Lecter, Beverly talked with her boyfriend and Jimmy and Brain were arguing over something that was making their companions shake their heads and laugh. 

This left Ryder to pick up the end and was the last one seated between Jack’s wife Bella and Dr. Bloom, she didn’t mind though. When she finally sat down, she had to admire the flower arrangements, she wasn’t a Botanist—unlike her father—but she could tell it was composed of Irises that were a beautiful royal purple, Delphinium that looked as white as snow, amaryllis that gave off a rich red color and hints of Heather Lavender that were a lighter purple. 

Casual conversation continued at the table between the colleagues and left Ryder listening to the many experiences the people around her had. She had learned that Jimmy and his husband had went to Ireland a couple of years ago and how wonderful it was. Jack talked about Italy, its sights, sounds, and fine food. Meanwhile his wife nodded along, although she seemed far off from the conversation. Hannibal had added in about the fine wines of Italy and how they needed to try a little town called “Orvieto, Umbria” that was fantastic. Throughout the conversations, Ryder kept getting side glances from Dr. Bloom and each time, Ryder would give a reassuring smile to let her know she was alright.

Then dinner was served, a fileted Salmon with a side of rice and something else foreign named that Ryder couldn’t remember. For dessert, it was a chocolate mousse, and everybody seemed to love it. “Do you give it a passing grade Hannibal?” Dr. Bloom teased Dr. Lecter when they finished.

Dr. Lecter smiled, “I thought it was delicious, the amount of flavor was very well balanced in the fish and a nice pairing with the rice and wine. The dessert was very well-made too, not too thick or creamy.” 

Ryder must have had an inquisitive look on her face, because Jack spoke up. “Hannibal cooks, among many other things; when he serves food, the dish looks like an art piece, simply too good to eat.” 

Ryder’s eye’s widened “wow” she said turning to look at Dr. Lecter, “I should have guessed when you were talking about the wines of Italy.” 

Hannibal inclined his head, “Jack gives me too much credit, cooking for others gives me great joy Ms. Caeli.” Ryder nodded her head “that’s great that you found something that you have a passion for. If Jack says your cooking is impressive at the same time artful, then it’s probably even better in person” Ryder concluded. In return, Hannibal gave a soft smile. 

“What do you do in your extra time, Ms. Caeli when you’re not working as a student or for the FBI?” Jack’s wife asked, it was the first time she had spoken in the night. Ryder was caught off guard, she was never asked questions and she had no life besides school and had little friends, but she wasn’t going to bring that up. Instead, she let out an expectant sigh, “I’m afraid I’m quite boring actually” she said coyly. “I have asthma, so I was never very athletic and with the incident I experienced a few weeks ago, it’s made life interesting. Growing up, I got really good at drawing and writing since I lead a more sedentary lifestyle. But other than that I can’t think of anything else, I’m always open for suggestions though.” 

Bella gave Ryder a warm smile and patted her hand, “don’t worry, I was never the one to like physical activity, even as a kid, and I didn’t even have asthma.” Ryder smiled widely, while Jack laughed at his wife’s comment. 

An accented voice spoke up, “you and I also have something in common, I do enjoy the fine art of drawing too” Dr. Lecter cocked his head. Ryder smiled shyly at the doctor, “yes, I’ve seen them. Hopefully not too intrusive, but I was looking at them back when I was visiting your office when you were attacked, they were absolutely beautiful.” He smiled, this time it reached his eyes, “I assure you Ms. Caeli, it isn’t intrusive at all. In fact I had been working on them earlier that day, I left them out to work on them more but was then occupied” he paused “what do you draw?” he asked. 

“Anything that shows a semblance of beauty in this world. I draw nature, objects, but my favorite thing to draw are people” she said giving him a soft smile that caused Hannibal to stare at her and then nod his head. 

“Well, people do have the most detail and are probably the most interesting to draw” Dr. Bloom commented which caused Hannibal to look from Ryder to Alana. 

“A leaf has just as much detail as a hand of a person. That does not make it no less valuable, however, I think the hand surpasses in beauty” he said offering his hand and she accepted. They got up from the table, and headed over to the crowd of dancing couples Ryder had not yet noticed. Good God that was smooth, Ryder thought incredulously. 

At the exit of both Doctor’s to the dance floor, all members of the party followed suite with their companions, leaving Ryder alone at the table. She watched them dance and smile at each other, but a panicky feeling was coming on so she got up and made her way to the bathroom to lean over a sink and breathe. 

Ryder looked up at the mirror and saw a girl staring back. With prevelent birthmark right above the left side of her mouth, her eyes traveled up the girls cocoa-colored skin to the blue eyes and the dark circles under them. She turned her back to the mirror and smoothed her flowy green dress. She brought up a hand to her forehead to contrast the hot with the coldness of her hand and shook her head at herself, get yourself together, you can’t fall apart now. It was like this anxiety set in and she had no idea what had brought it on or why she was alarmed, she was doing really well tonight. 

Ryder exited the bathroom and took some deep breaths to calm her speeding heart, she continued to breathe erratically and settled for just leaning against the wall with her arms crossed looking at all the people dancing. Ryder closed her eyes, the panic feeling was not going away and it was getting harder to breathe. When she opened them she saw Dr. Bloom and Dr. Lecter at the table talking with another woman she didn’t recognize. 

The music was so beautiful, everybody was having fun and Ryder Caeli was having an asthma induced panic attack. She had to get away, get out of the stuffy room, so she gunned for a little balcony door that was open to a terrace. “Oh, thank god” she said as she peaked around the corner to peer outside, seeing nobody but the dark sky and feeling the chill of the winter air on her dark skin. 

She walked past the overhang of the building that was supported by a marble column and put both hands on the railing bordering the terrace. “Just breathe, you’re outside now, this is all you need” she told herself, but the breath she was waiting for didn’t come, it was stuck in her throat. Damn it! I should have brought my stupid oxygen tank, Dr. Bloom was right. Why do I never learn? 

As she continued to try to work through her asthma attack, she realized that her inhaler was in her clutch. It was so far away, she wouldn’t make it without causing a scene. While thinking, Ryder didn’t hear nor see Hannibal come out on the terrace, instead he walked up behind her. 

He knew something was wrong, he saw her leaning against the wall with her eyes closed and then bolted for the door to come out on the terrace. From hearing her shallow breaths and coughing, he would venture a guess that she was having an asthma attack. He called her name, which caused Ryder to spin around and him to grab her shoulders to steady her. 

“You. You. Scared-d me” she said in between shallow breaths. “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to, but I saw you come out here because it looked like something was wrong” he paused. “You’re having an asthma attack, where’s your inhaler?” he asked calmly. 

“I-in my clut-ch” she coughed out weakly, she looked sickly and Hannibal knew that he had no choice but to calm her down before he got her medication, but right now it was too far away.

“Okay, I want you to look at me Ryder”, he said as she was looking at the ground and grabbing onto his bicep for dear life. Finally Ryder picked up her head and looked at his reddish-brown eyes. Even in the dark and while she was in the midst of an asthma attack, she could see the rich color. He stared into her own as his hand crept from her shoulder to the base of her neck and eventually stopping at the center of her chest—where her heart was beating franticly. He took a sharp intake of breath in with how fast it was beating. 

Being close to her, he could smell her, she smelled of Lily and something else—fear. It was absolutely intoxicating, Hannibal thought. Ryder was aware of where his hand was but was too preoccupied to care so instead she grabbed onto his hand on her chest and kept it there, compelling him to feel what she felt. He regarded her hand over his and grabbed her hand that was on his left bicep and put it on his own chest, to feel his heartbeat. She looked at him questioningly, but he kept staring at her. 

“Do you feel my own heartbeat, Ryder? Feel it, force your own to return to normal” he compelled. “Feel my breaths leaving my body in a perfect rhythm. Do the same, Ryder, breathe deeply—in and out” he urged. Ryder could feel her eyes watering, all this was too much, his words echoed in her mind, but he was right, she had to beat it. So that’s what she did, she forced herself to breathe like Dr. Lecter, felt him hum under her hand, his heart beating at a natural rate compared to her frantic one. 

While Ryder worked on breathing Hannibal took the time to observe the girl. Her heart was much like a bird flittering its wings inside her chest; all her life under his hand and he could end it all, but decided against it. Ryder eventually closed her eyes to focus on the task and she could feel it, the breath of life, it was coming. She let it out, one deep breath and strived for another, her heart had calmed somewhat and Hannibal seemed to sigh. 

After she let out a few more deep breaths, she was back to normal, but she would need her inhaler. She opened her eyes to find Dr. Lecter staring at her, looking for a sign that said she was okay. She slid her hand away from his chest, but she didn’t let go of the one covering his on her own chest. He looked down from her eyes to his hand, and that’s when she let go, he slid it away almost in a hesitant manner. She closed her eyes once again, opened them and licked her lips, looking at the doctor. 

She was going to say something before Hannibal beat her to it “we need to get your medicine.” Ryder just nodded, too out of it to think about what was happening. He led her to the table with a hand at the small of her back, Ryder noticed it too. Once they got to the table, Ryder silently thanked whomever was bestowing good luck on her now that nobody was there. She took out her inhaler and inhaled the medicine into her body, relief filling her senses all the while Hannibal looked on. When Ryder was finally able to stand upright and not lean against a chair, she still didn’t feel up to par, she had a headache and didn’t want to be in the dress or heels anymore and to make matters worse Dr. Bloom was coming back to the table. 

As she neared, Alana had noticed Ryder’s quiet demeanor “are you okay? You look a little sick” she asked assessing the girl in front of her. Ryder opened her mouth to answer but was met with Hannibal answering for her. 

“She’s not feeling so well, Alana. She has a fever, I was just walking her back from the bathroom when I noticed how unwell she looked. I was thinking of driving her home.” Ryder was absolutely shocked at how easy the lie rolled off Dr. Lecter’s tongue. Alana nodded her head “I would agree that’s the best course of action.” 

Once she got her bearings, Ryder took one more deep breath. “Please, I don’t want to be rude and ruin the evening” but Alana touched her arm and shook her head. 

Ryder exhaled, “there’s no need to drive me home Dr. Lecter, I can call a cab.” He looked at her pointedly “nonsense, you’re sick and I’m quite sure you’ll need assistance.” 

Alana nodded her head again “listen to Hannibal, Ryder.” She looked down at her heals that were currently performing torture on her feet, “I guess I shouldn’t argue with a doctor, or two for that matter.” 

She gave a half smile and turned towards Dr. Bloom “I’m sorry if I worried you, I think I just need to go home and sleep.” Alana gave Ryder a sad look and enveloped her in a hug “Maybe it was too much for you, after all, you still are recovering. But, I hope you had a good time tonight, except for this little bump, feel better” she said as she pulled away and squeezed Ryders arm assuredly. 

“Well, it beat sitting at home and doing homework.” Ryder lied, but before Ryder walked away with Hannibal, she told Dr. Bloom to give everybody her best and to tell them she’s sorry for being rude and leaving the gathering so early. Alana laughed and said they would understand, to this Ryder nodded her head, grabbed her clutch and walked away with Dr. Lecter. Alana watched their retreating forms, wishing that Ryder could’ve enjoyed the night more as Hannibal walked along with her.


	13. Chapter 13

Hannibal gave her his arm and she gladly took it for the support. They both walked out of the building to the parking lot, arm in arm, where his Bentley was parked. He unlocked the doors and walked Ryder over to the passenger side and opened the door for her and shut it once she was safely inside. 

She thought to herself as her fingers traced the stitching in the seats. As he got in and started the car he looked over at her, “are you feeling okay?” she smiled at his concern. “I feel better already” she assured him. 

“I should probably tell you where I live huh?” she laughed hoarsely. 

“Yes, that would be helpful” Dr. Lecter agreed and chuckled even though he already knew. “I live on Ridgeway circle, off of 7th avenue it’s an apartment complex” she said as he backed out of the parking space, he seemed to contemplate something “that’s approximately three blocks off of where I live” he said as he took a right. 

“Wow, what a coincidence. Where do you live?” she asked. “5 Chadel Square” he answered back. “What a surprise, I didn’t even know you were that close” she said quietly. 

Ryder would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous about being in car with a man, and one she felt a one-way attraction to. She brushed the thought away, “I really appreciate this. I feel like I’m taking advantage of you and I’m really sorry if I’ve been rude at all” she knew she was blabbering. 

He let out a light chuckle, “you are not taking advantage of me since I was the one to suggest driving you home and in no shape or form have ever been rude. If you had been, you would know” he finished, giving her a meaningful look as she gave him a smile back. 

“Maybe a bit stupid though, I should have just brought my oxygen tank then it wouldn’t have affected the evening” she said dejectedly “Dr. Bloom was right I should have been more careful.” 

Hannibal mulled over her words, “well, I fear you are right about the oxygen tank.” This caused Ryder to look over at him, “it wouldn’t have gone with your dress.” That was the first time she genuinely laughed that evening and caused Hannibal to laugh a little himself, he couldn’t decide which he liked more her laugh or her struggled gasps. “But in all seriousness, you did not ruin my evening, if anything you made it more interesting. Dancing can only be so entertaining” He said inclined his head in her direction. 

She smiled once more “well, I think we can both safely say that I’m in your debt. You saved my life back when I was poisoned and again not even an hour ago” she reminded. 

“Well if I need a favor, I know who to ask” Hannibal said looking over at the girl who watched out the window at the passing street lamps. 

“Can I ask you something about earlier, Dr. Lecter?” Ryder questioned. “Ask away” Hannibal answered back. “Did you have past experiences with asthmatics or was it just a hunch that whatever you did would work?” 

Hannibal thought about her question, “it stems from my own past, how I deal with situations. Deep breaths work, but in your case you needed a little help getting your heart rate back to normal. So you could say it was more of a hunch. Hopefully you don’t think badly of me for it.” 

She shook her head, “no of course not, I could never think badly of you” she said well naturedly while Hannibal remained silent. She thought about his hand on her chest, how intimate it was and he wasn’t even trying. She pushed the thoughts aside, while Hannibal was thinking something similar. 

He remembered her heart fluttered under his touch—such a beautiful thing the heart—he should know, he’s eaten dozens of them. Hers was no different, structured the exact same as everyone else’s, pumped blood throughout her arteries and veins. But at the same time something was different about it. It had stopped when she was poisoned, and started again and the proof was under his fingertips not even an hour ago. .

The rest of the trip was quiet and Hannibal turned up the radio to a classical song that Ryder recognized. She smiled at the memories “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” she said aloud. Hannibal turned his eyes from the road to regard her quickly. She pointed at the radio, “—it’s the name of the song. My mom used to hum it all the time.”

Hannibal nodded his head in understanding “where does your family live?” 

“Petersburg, Virginia. So not far, about 3 hours, but I don’t see them much because I’m busy and they’re busy—life happens.” Hannibal listened attentively “do you miss them?” he asked. 

She smiled “of course, I’m very close with my family. My mom calls me a lot, I suspect because she misses my brother and I.” Hannibal grinned, “I suspect you’re right.” 

It stayed quiet after that, and Ryder was okay with it. She was spent after this evening and she could only imagine how Dr. Lecter felt. About 20 minutes later he arrived in front of her apartment building, she opened the car door. Hannibal made to get out also but Ryder stopped him. 

“Please you don’t have to walk me to my door or anything Dr. Lecter, you’ve done so much already and I can’t even begin to thank you enough for it” she gave him a shy smile. 

“Believe me Ms. Caeli, it was a pleasure getting to know you. If you ever need help or someone to talk to” he said bringing a card out of his coat “don’t hesitate to call.” She took the card from his hand and looked at the number and his credentials. “Thank you again” she said smiling at him and getting out of the car. 

She shut the door of the Bentley and walked up the steps to her apartment building turning her key in the lock, opening the door and giving a wave to Dr. Lecter as he drove away. She shut her door and put the deadbolt on and slide down onto the floor. “What a night” she said to herself as she pulled out the card he gave her and looked at it for a couple of minutes. “What a night” she repeated.


	14. Chapter 14

The Monday after the party, the team found the farm. At least the week was off to a good start, Ryder thought as she drove to the location. She was sure that would change because Will’s trial started Wednesday. When she had gotten there, she noticed that she arrived at the same time as Dr. Lecter. They ended up walking together as Beverly led them to an exact spot. 

When he asked how they found the place, she smiled at both of them, “Will gave us the ‘what’ and you two gave us the ‘where.’” Ryder shook her head, “I didn’t do anything, I just defined a French word” which brought laughs from them both. 

Beverly kept talking “Will didn’t think Roland Umber was discarded, he escaped. We just went upstream from where the body was found until we hit corn.” 

They were greeted by Jack who shook Dr. Lecter’s hand and inclined his head at Ryder. “Follow me, you might want to prepare yourself. You’ve never seen anything like this” Jack cautioned as he walked away and left Hannibal and Ryder to get gloves on. 

“I’m sure I haven’t” Hannibal doubted, looking down at Ryder as she nodded in agreement. Ryder and Dr. Lecter followed Jack into a dark silo when Jack started talking again. “How could a human being go so bad?” he questioned as Hannibal answered Jack’s question with an elaborate answer.

Ryder listened to the conversation, but looked around the place, seeing many bodies lined up perfectly, it was as if they were part of something larger. She looked up at the hole on the top and smiled to herself as an idea popped into her head. She exited the silo and took off her tubes to her oxygen tank and started climbing the ladder. 

When she reached the top, she peeped through the hole, down at the picture the bodies seemed to form and at the two men right as Hannibal asked what it looked like from the top. Jack handed him an iPad with pictures but she answered his question anyways. 

“It looks like an eye, maybe an eye beyond this world looking at the next, seeing the reflection of man” they both looked up at her as Dr. Lecter grinned “smart girl” he said as she smiled inwardly and began climbing down the ladder. When she was inches away from the ground, she felt hands on her sides and was met with Hannibal lifting her down from the ladder. 

“Thanks” she blushed as she busied herself by putting on her oxygen tubes. Jack leaned against the silo, clearly in thought, “you said he doesn’t see people, that he sees material.” 

Dr. Lecter looked from Ryder to Jack “those in the world around him are a means to an end. He uses them to do what he’s driven to do.” Ryder watched Dr. Lecter’s words sink into Jack, as a result, a conflicted man looked up and ushered them back to their cars.


	15. Chapter 15

Two days later, Ryder had attended Will’s trial. She was sitting next to Dr. Lecter listening to the lawyer, Ms. Vega, drone on. From the moment she woke up this morning, she was perpetually pissed. 

At the moment, Ryder was trying to tune out the annoying women’s screechy voice and the aggravating things she brought up that soured Ryder’s mood. The whole group turned to see Jack enter the courtroom and take the stand while the annoying women questioned him where he met Will and why Will wasn’t FBI because he didn’t pass screenings. This dragged Ryder out of her daze as it was all new information.

Then the lawyer verified with Jack that Will was valuable to the FBI and Jack responded that Will could think like the murders, the annoying women smiled “sounds like a super-villain” Ryder scoffed. 

She then directed the attention to the 40 pieces of evidence used against Will and said that he could think like a killer because he was one. Ryder inhaled sharply when Jack interrupted the lawyer, “I don’t believe that to be true.” 

She closed her eyes and thanked god that Jack was finally speaking his mind and not doing what everybody else wanted him to do. “Will hated every second of the work. He hated it, he didn’t fake that. He hated it and I kept making him do it.” The Lawyer was irritated and asked why Will continued when Jack told him to quit and Jack had a response. 

“He was saving lives” he boomed. Hannibal turned his head in curiosity as Jack continued, “I had been warned by more than one person that if I pushed Will, I’d break him. I put those checks and balances in place, then ignored them. And here we are.” 

A couple of hours later, Ryder had been hanging around the court house when Jack called her down to the department because they found an ear that was delivered to Will as he sat in the courtroom. Ryder noticed while the medical examiners were briefing them that Jack was seemed out of it. But they had come to the conclusion that maybe Will was half right—there was another killer. To her, this was what Will needed. She knew he wasn’t the killer, but her voice wouldn’t do anything since she was just an intern compared to the people around her who previously thought otherwise.

The next day, she watched from the back as Freddie Lounds took the stand, she wanted to throw up as she talked about how Abigail believed Will wanted to finish the work her father had started. 

Ryder scoffed as the reporter went on to dig Will into a deeper hole by saying that she blamed Will for her father’s death. Freddie gave a convincing case, but Ryder had hope when she saw Will’s lawyer stand.

Ryder’s smiled widened as Will’s lawyer asked her how many she was sued for libel, oh a lot I bet, Ryder thought as Freddie answered with 6 times. She leaned into her shoulder to hide the smile that spread on her face when the reporter had settled for those 6 too. She shook her head at the women as she exited the courtroom, hypocrite. 

\---

That night, she was called by Jack to come to Milford, Maryland because there was a new part of Will’s case that could prove his innocence. She got into her car and drove to the place, finding the medical examiners and Dr. Lecter there already. 

She walked into the conversation mid-sentence when Jack was explaining how it was a ‘warm welcome.’ She raised an eyebrow at the body mounted on deer antlers, just like the murders Will was accused of doing. “An arresting piece of theater” Hannibal observed with wide eyes. 

Brian was scraping away at the victim’s name tag “our bailiff was mounted on a stage’s head, Glasgow smile, killer lopped off his ear and set him on fire. Will Graham’s greatest hits.”

“Brian” Ryder chided as Jack looked at the body, “could we have been that wrong?” 

Brian was on a roll “about Will Graham? We could not. He practically takes selfies with his victims.” 

Beverly studied the body “the evidence we found was immediate and almost presentational—”

“—like it was gift-wrapped, made to be found” Ryder finished for her friend, giving her a pleading look. 

“That’s what Will said about Cassie Boyle when we found her in that field, ‘Field Kabuki’” Jack explained and Beverly backed it up. “There was no evidence before Will was apprehended and there hasn’t been any since.” 

Brian spoke up “he ate a girl’s ear! It was in his stomach, God knows what else of her was in there”

Jimmy added “we should’ve taken a stool sample” 

“Yes! We should have.” 

“Well, why didn’t we?” 

“I was the one that said we should have” they argued back and forth. She watched the arguing medical examiners but walked over to Jack’s side. She leaned in when Hannibal asked if this had any impact on Will’s trial, Jack shrugged his shoulders and said he would have to talk to the judge about it. Ryder observed Hannibal’s worried demeanor, odd, she thought. 

\---

That morning, Ryder chose not to show up to Will’s trial and was happy she didn’t because she heard Frederick was on the stand and gave a pretty strong case against Will. But later she found out that Dr. Bloom wasn’t going to taking the stand because Will changed his defense strategy. 

Ryder practically raced to the courthouse when she found out and now she, Alana and Jack sat in the courtroom as Hannibal took the stand instead, Will’s lawyer asking him how he knew Will Graham. 

Ryder listened as Hannibal explained that he was Will’s unofficial psychiatrist and had not really considered Will innocent until the other murder happened. Ryder raised an eyebrow at that. Then Will’s lawyer tried to make sense from Dr. Lecter’s answers by asking if he thought that the same person who committed the murders is the person who framed Will. Just then Ms. Vega interrupted but was settled by the judge. 

It was brought to attention, the fact that Will had accused him of the crimes but Hannibal had said it was because Will couldn’t accept what had been done could’ve been him. Dr. Lecter then said that he didn’t blame him for it. Will would always be his friend. 

Ryder wished that’s where the trial would have ended, but Ms. Vega had other ideas and asked what the person they had just discovered died from. Hannibal answered with a bullet wound and that Will’s murders were mutilations. Ryder directed her attention next to her as Dr. Bloom looked worriedly at Jack, as the judge ruled the defense inadmissible. This defense was not going to end well—and it didn’t. 

The next morning Ryder was already at the courthouse as Jack called her from inside. She pushed the doors open to the courtroom and saw Hannibal waiting with him. But what she noticed first was the bloody display of the judge overseeing the case mounted. 

Jack wasted no time getting started. “So it appears that the judge was murdered in his chambers and then he was hauled out here to be put on display” she heard his voice thunder in the room as she walked up near them. She watched Jimmy and Brian take pictures as Hannibal talked. “Not only is justice blind, it’s mindless and heartless. How did the killer get so close?” he asked. 

Beverly turned around and smiled at Ryder before she addressed the doctor’s question, “no sign of a struggle, mutilation was post-mortem.” 

Brian leaned over the strung up body “he was shot in the chest just like the bailiff. Can’t see the entry wound because he removed the heart.”

“How about an exit wound” Ryder questioned as Jimmy pointed at the judge “there is an exit wound. No slug, must have taken it with him” he turned back to her. 

“Like a trophy” she noted as her team looked up to regard her. Ryder observed the body up close, blood was everywhere, the eyes were blinded by a white cloth stained red, the top of his head was cut off and he held a sword that weighed his brain and his heart. Ryder saw Hannibal and Jack walk away as the medical examiners watched after them, Beverly rolled her eyes at them when she looked at Ryder.

She went over to the table next to the body to view what else they found as Hannibal came to stand next to her. She exhaled as Hannibal looked at her from under his eyelashes “something on your mind Ms. Caeli?” 

She bobbed her head “this means that Will’s trial is wiped clean, liked nothing ever happened, which is good because the trial was not going well. But it means more waiting for Will” she rubbed her eyes as she took out her inhaler and took her medicine. Hannibal gazed at the body and then to her. 

“I’m afraid it postpones Will’s trial for the time being” he agreed, avoiding the first half of her statement. He watched her put the inhaler away. She took another deep breath and bit her lip as she looked up at the judge’s body. 

The following days after Will’s trial she told Alana and Jack that she needed a few days off to collect herself and catch up on school work. Turns out, she really needed it, she wandered about the small apartment with a bowl of cereal, trying not to think about the blood and guts she’s seen and tuned out her thoughts as she worked on a paper for her med ethics class on malpractice. But the next night she got a text from Brian saying that Jack was at the hospital if she needed to contact him at all. Ryder put her head back on her sofa wondering why he was there. She eventually heaved herself up to take off her sweatpants and put on actual pants and went outside to her car to go to the hospital, hoping she wasn’t being nosy. 

When she asked for the room, the nurse directed her towards the floor and she found herself standing outside the door, looking in as Bella was hooked to machines and was talking to Jack as he pushed the hair back from her forehead. She was going to walk away when she saw Bella raise her hand and wave and Ryder waved in return. Jack didn’t notice as his head was turned down into his wife’s shoulder and with that she walked away. 

She walked out of the hospital when she heard her phone buzzing. Looking at it she saw it was Beverly, what could she possibly want this late at night? Ryder thought as she answered the phone. “Hello?” 

“Hey Ryder, I know you took a couple of days off, but I just wanted to tell you that I found something that Will led me to.” 

“What kind of ‘thing’ did Will lead you to” Ryder questioned. 

“I’ll tell you more when I see you again, trust me it’s pretty important” Beverly explained. 

“Why can’t you tell me now? You already spiked my curiosity” Ryder mused, playing into what Beverly said. 

“I can’t now because where I’m going I can’t use my cell, but I’ll see you soon” she made a smooching sound and Ryder scoffed “alright see you soon. Be safe” she warned as Beverly joked “alright, mom” before she ended the call. Ryder shook her head at her friend before she got in her car and drove home to her comfy apartment, not knowing that was the last conversation she would have with the medical examiner.


	16. Chapter 16

Ryder came into the department early, upon request from Jack. She had a feeling whatever he wanted to tell her wasn’t going to be good—she was right. She walked into the office and found Jimmy and Brian sitting in chairs already. The feeling of dread amplified Jack motioned to the third seat that was pulled up in-between them, telling her that she might want to sit down. 

He folded his hands “at approximately 9:00 a.m. this morning, I received a phone call from Freddie Lounds. Acting on an anonymous tip, she discovered a female body and immediately contacted my office. I was amongst the first on the scene” he paused as Jimmy and Brian started crying. Ryder’s mouth went dry “oh no” she shook her head as tears welled up immediately and started to spill over. 

“The victim has been identified as our colleague, Special Agent Beverly Katz. She will be memorialized at FBI Headquarters and Field Offices so that her ultimate sacrifice will always be remembered. That’s all” he finished as he looked down at his hands. Jimmy and Brian hurried out of his office while she sat there in the seat crying. 

“I want to see her” she said monotonously. Jack shook his head “that’s exactly what Will said” and started to talk more when she interrupted and repeated herself. Jack stared at her “I don’t think it would be a good idea” he stated. 

“I do” she stared back “in fact, it might be important for the last person she talked to be there.” He scrunched up his eyebrows and opened his mouth but nothing came out. He then put his hands up in surrender as he got his car keys and motioned for her to come with, it was silent the whole drive there. 

Jack got out of the car when they arrived at the observatory and Ryder followed. She felt unsettling memories resurface of when the team was there the last time. A black van pulled up and Will come out of it, wrapped and chained up, complete with a mask. His orderly’s got him up to the floor while Jack had escorted Ryder there beforehand to view her friend. 

She was in shock, she stood looking at the multiple panels that held her dissected friend. Ryder shifted her feet, trying not to think too much but it was too late, she had started crying and Jack put a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. She hadn’t noticed Will being wheeled in until Jack’s voice boomed for everyone to leave them alone. She heard footsteps as people filed out, but continued gazing at her friend as tears streamed down her face. 

Jack let out a sigh as he left Ryder’s side and went to Will; Ryder closed her eyes and wiped them as she turned around to open them to Will staring at her. Jack paused and regarded Ryder who helped him undo the straps on Will, the last thing she took off was his mask. Jack, pulled her shoulder to signal her to give Will room. She complied and stepped away from the man as he eyed her and then the display. When Will was free, he walked towards the panels, an emotion not unlike horror registered as he went over the scene in his mind as Jack ushered Ryder out of the room to wait for Will to be done, she pulled out her inhaler in the meantime. 

He was still in the same place when Jack and Ryder walked in. Jack announced that it was the Chesapeake Ripper to shake Will from his thoughts. 

Will became attentive and continued in a barely audible voice “it’s the Ripper and the copycat. Same killer, two masks. Beverly helped me see it.” Jack walked up as Ryder stayed behind “help us see it” he pleaded. 

“She was looking for something when she called me last night, she said it was important. ” Ryder spoke up causing both men turned around at her downturned demeanor. 

“It was a connection between the copycat and the Ripper” Will added as fresh tears brimmed Ryder’s eyes. 

“You think she found it?” Jack asked as Will answered with “she found something.” 

“She had to hang up because she was going somewhere she couldn’t talk” Ryder choked out. Jack sniffed while Will nodded again. It was hushed when Will directed his next question at Jack “where were you last night?” 

Jack gazed at Will “in the hospital, with my wife.” Will looked downwards “I told Beverly to go to you tell you everything she knew. Instead, she went looking for evidence. She met the Ripper last night, Jack. She…she will be missing organs. He had to take his trophies.” 

Ryder scrunched her eyes closed. Her tears were falling now, the thought of her friend being eaten making her sick, but she managed to get out a question. “Who is he, Will? 

He let out a sigh as he turned towards Ryder, then to Jack “Beverly made her connection to the Ripper. You each have to make your own.” Ryder’s eyebrows furrowed at the elusive comment. 

Jack looked back to the panels “then why did I bring you here?” he seemed to question himself as both Will and Ryder answered at the same time “to say goodbye.” 

Jack had driven her back to the department, and from there told her to take the rest of the day off. She thanked him and drove straight home to live in her bed for the next day, getting zero sleep due to the images of Beverly’s mutilated body popping up in her mind. She was surprised when she got a call from Alana, which she was surprisingly happy about for the distraction. 

When she picked up the phone, Alana’s voice was panicked, she asked if Ryder had seen Hannibal at all today and Ryder replied with a negative. Ryder was curious though and asked what was going on to which Alana said that Will had gotten someone to kill him. Ryder’s mouth fell open when she thought of the man she saw a couple of hours ago, trying to kill the other who saved her life. She shook her head and asked where they were headed and Alana gave her the location of a country club not far from where she lived. 

Ryder immediately grabbed her keys and headed out the door to the location. When she arrived she walked as fast as she could with her oxygen tank behind her. When she entered, she saw Alana on the phone with who she suspected was 911 and Alana pointed her in the direction of the men’s changing rooms. She continued down the stairs, careful of her oxygen tank and found that Jack was holding Hannibal up as Hannibal was hanging from a noose. 

Jack called her name as she walked towards him, but she stopped first to check the pulse of the man who Jack shot, he was dead. She heard Jack’s struggling breath “is he dead?” 

“He’s dead” she confirmed as she rifled through her purse, she remembered the pen-knife her grandfather had given her years ago as she pulled it out and took off the top cap. She nodded her head at the noose. “I can saw him down, Jack” she said taking off her oxygen tubes and stepping onto the bucket as Jack told her to be careful. She sawed away at the thick rope and finally she heard the its snap. 

She helped lower Hannibal down from Jack’s arms when she stepped off the bucket, Jack felt for a pulse “he’s alive” he ensured as he leaned on his knees to take a break. Ryder began sawing away at the duck-tape that was used and eventually freed his one arm. Jack held out his hand for it so he could do the other side. As she handed it to him he observed the object. “Where did you get this?” 

Ryder shrugged and put pressure to the cut on Hannibal’s wrist. “I got it from my grandpa, years ago and I must say that it became useful, particularly in this situation.” He let out a breathy laugh, “smart man.” 

Jack got his other arm free from the wooden pole and put pressure on the other cut right as Alana walked in with some paramedics. Jack ushered Ryder away to Alana’s side and returned the lethal weapon as he gave her a weak smile. 

“How did you cut him down?” Alana asked incredulously, “we found a way” Jack answered for Ryder. They followed the paramedics out of the country club, Ryder feeling unwell.


	17. Chapter 17

It took a couple of days for Hannibal to get better, which Ryder thought was pretty amazing. He lost a lot of blood and Ryder was told that if Jack, Alana and herself hadn’t shown up, he would’ve been dead within the hour. 

It took a week for Jack to calm down and finally see Will, but not alone. Jack asked Ryder earlier on in the day if she would accompany him to go see Will, she reluctantly agreed. 

She was angry with him, she knew Will wasn’t who they thought he was, he wasn’t a killer. But his actions just contradicted that. Even though Ryder admitted there was something mysterious about the esteemed doctor, Ryder couldn’t put her finger on—call it a gut feeling. 

When they arrived at the state hospital, it was already dark out as they descended the steps, Jack moved even more slowly than Ryder when they were walking down, Will seemed to notice too. “You’re moving smoothly and slowly, Jack. Carrying your concentration like a brimming cup.” He nodded his head at Ryder when she approached the cage. However, Jack circled the cage talking while Ryder stood stock still, gazing at the man inside. 

“Hannibal Lecter was almost murdered by an employee of this hospital. An attendant, who we believe is the person that killed the bailiff and the judge at your murder trial.” 

Will rumbled back “he killed the bailiff, he didn’t kill the judge that was the Chesapeake Ripper.” 

“You know this?” Ryder crossed her arms leaving the oxygen tank to stand on its own. “He told me” Will answered flatly. 

Jack started circling again “then you told him to kill Hannibal” he surmised as Will whipped his head around to face Jack “nothing I said made that happen, Jack. It just happened.” Ryder hung her head as Jack got angrier “’it just happened.’ You don’t seem to be too broken up about it.” 

“There’s a common emotion we all recognize and have not yet named. The happy anticipation of being able to feel contempt” Will sniped back. 

Ryder cocked her head “you feel contempt for Hannibal?” Will looked at her “well, I have contempt for the Ripper. I have contempt for what he does.” 

“What does he do?” Jack asked. Will got agitated and repeated Jack’s statement “what does he do? What is the first and principal thing he does? What need does he serve by killing?” 

Jack stopped circling around him “he harvest organs” he guessed. 

“No, that’s only the action of what he does. Why does he need to do it? The Ripper kills in sounders of three or four in a quick order. Do you know why?” he peeked up from his lashes “I know why.” Ryder came closer to Jack as he stopped his actions, “then tell us” she asked him. 

Will took a second to think then answered her. “Because if he waits too long, then the meat spoils” he finished. 

Ryder raised an eyebrow “he’s eating them?” she said in disbelief as Jack furthered her question “Hannibal is like Garret Jacob Hobbs? A cannibal?” But Will shook his head. 

“No, not like Garret Jacob Hobbs, Hobbs ate his victims to honor them. The Ripper eats his victims because they’re no better to him than pigs.” 

Ryder took ahold of her oxygen tank again, “with the exception of Beverly, there is no connection between Hannibal and any Ripper victims.” 

“No immediate connection” Will corrected her. 

Jack paced again “Hannibal Lecter is not the Chesapeake Ripper.” 

“If the Ripper is killing again you can bet Hannibal Lecter’s planning a dinner party. You and I, with the exception of Ryder, probably sipped wine while swallowing the people to whom we were trying to give justice, Jack. Who does he have to kill before you open your eyes?” Will asked as he and Jack looked towards Ryder.

Ryder saw both sets of eyes on her but she shook her head and began walking up the steps, not wanting to hear more of the conversation or consider the fact that she could be in danger—again. “I’ll be in the car, Jack, if you need me” she announced when she got to the top stair and walked out of the facility. 

Will was on this again, this thought process that Hannibal was the Chesapeake Ripper. I mean it was impossible, wasn’t it? He saved her life—twice. If he was the Chesapeake Ripper, he wouldn’t have bothered because she’s nobody, not a threat, nothing. She’s was just in it for the experience, and boy was she getting experience. She shook her head to try to clear the thoughts away, deciding that she had no ball in this court, she was Switzerland. She just wanted her friend cleared of the bogus charges and for Hannibal not to be who Will claimed him to be. But the thoughts were planted and wouldn’t go away, I’m Switzerland, I’m Switzerland she repeated, but they stayed in her mind. 

The next day, Ryder had gotten a text from Jack that he would be picking her up to take her to a new crime scene that was discovered. They pulled into a parking lot and in the middle was a tree and a man that seemed to be coming out of it. Both approached Jimmy and Brian, Ryder feeling a twinge of sadness at the missing presence of her friend. 

Jack asked both men what they found and Jimmy said that the roots were living and the man had vines threaded through his heels, back and torso. Just from looking at the body, she knew to aske what organs were taken. Jimmy answered that usually the bodies were ‘cherry picked’ but instead the killer took all the organs besides the lungs. 

This caught Ryder’s attention as she stepped closer, being mindful of her tank not to get caught in the vines. Jack noted that with the time he devoted to his work, he really took pride in it. That’s for sure, this thing’s a masterpiece Ryder thought as she studied the flowers, having flashbacks to the case that almost killed her. 

She spoke up and told them that the flowers were Belladonna, Chain of white oleander, Ragwort for the Heart, intestines and liver; she bit her lip after she said they were poisonous. Jack nodded his head, he remarked that the Ripper thought this judgement for the victim because of their toxic or poisonous nature. 

They all looked at the tree when Jack added that the Ripper was so sure of the conviction, it made him sick. Ryder couldn’t have agreed more, Will’s musings playing in her head as she observed the scene before her. A sick feeling coming on as the coincidences started showing.

That night, she bid everyone a farewell, and decided to pay Will another visit, mainly because her mind wouldn’t shut up about what he had said to her and Jack. 

He smiled pitifully at her when she came into his view but she sighed, making the smile turn to a frown. “So were you there when they saved him?” She nodded her head “I cut him down from the noose he was hanging from.” 

Will scoffed “you should have let him die.” Her tongue traced the back of her front teeth. “Will, you’ve become somebody I barley recognize. I don’t believe you to be a murderer. But this, this act of sending somebody to do your bidding is not you. You are so hell bent on revenge you’ve become somebody else.” 

He crossed his arms “so have you” he said simply. 

She held up a finger at him “I’m not taking sides, Will. What you did was wrong, but you’re not a killer” she exhaled “as for Hannibal—” she paused as Will’s head turned in curiosity. “What about him?” 

She stuttered at first, “I don’t know what to make of him.” Will stared at her, “you’ve been thinking about what I told you and Jack haven’t you?” 

She looked up from her lashes “Will, I’m trying really hard to remain neutral in this situation.” He scowled, “how deep is your relationship with Hannibal Lecter?” he gritted. 

“We have no relationship Will, purely professional. He saved my life the first time, you saw that, you were there. The second time we were at this dinner and I had an asthma attack, he calmed me down and drove me home” she growled back. 

He shook his head as he walked to the bars that separated them and stopped “that means you’re in his debt” he observed. She didn’t say anything because she was too busy remembering a similar comment she had made to the very man in his car. Will continued walking towards the bars. “What I said to Jack the other day, I didn’t mean you. I meant you could be if you aren’t careful. If you and I are alive by the end of this, it’s because he wants us that way. Anyone who gets too close gets got, remember that Ryder” he backed away from the bars. 

She licked her lips “I’m hardly a threat—” she was cut off by Will’s voice “everybody’s a threat, Ryder. You’re very smart, I’m sure you already know what I’m trying to tell you here” he seemed to whisper. Her mouth was dry as she spoke “that he’s dangerous.” 

Will nodding his head “very dangerous.”


	18. Chapter 18

When Ryder woke up that morning, her brain resumed replaying the conversation she had with Will. She was hesitant to believe him before, but now, now she was scared. He told her that she was in a debt that she should get the hell out of and that she may or may not die due to the man she had a minor liking to. She rubbed her eyes to get the sleep out as she got in the shower trying to sort out how she was feeling—it was confusing to say the least. 

She went in that morning to see Jack, but instead noticed that Dr. Chilton was in his office so she went down to the morgue to find Jimmy and Brian working on the tree man they found in the parking lot a yesterday. 

Interestingly enough, the man was named Sheldon Isley and was a Baltimore city councilman that paved over an endangered songbird nesting site for a parking lot 5 years ago; Jimmy was particularly irked by this. When Ryder asked why the lungs were kept, the two men said that they contained water to possibly feed the tree. 

The water that feeds the tree, like the air that fill our lungs to live Ryder thought, causing her to ask where the water was from. Turns out, it was from a water source within range of a 50 miles. Jack had heard the whole thing, he was standing off to the side and raised an eyebrow at Ryder who just noticed him when Jimmy mentioned the 50 mile radius part. “Very impressive Ms. Caeli” Jack noted. He asked to see her in the hallway after Brian and Jimmy were done, so she trailed after him until he stopped. 

“I heard you went to visit Will last night” he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Ryder sighed, crap. “Yes, I did” she affirmed while Jack waited for her to elaborate. “I went because I didn’t like how I left him earlier, I needed to talk to him more” she explained. 

He nodded “did he tell you anything worth-while telling me?” She looked down at her oxygen tank beside her, “I don’t want to dismiss Will, Jack. But it wasn’t anything that he hasn’t told you.” 

He unfolded his arms “Ryder, I’m not trying to scare you. I just want you to be safe.” She shook her head “no sir, I understand completely and I appreciate it. I probably should have asked you first, but it was more to rest my mind.” 

Jack nodded his head along, “Well, I’m actually going back there now, but to talk to Abel Gideon. Would you want to come?” he inquired. She bobbed her head “sure” she answered as they headed out to the car and to the state hospital. 

When they got there, they were greeted by Dr. Chilton who welcomed them and went down to the cages where Abel was kept. She found that the reason he was in Jack’s office this morning was because Abel might have known something about the Chesapeake Ripper, Chilton had recorded it and played it back. A sinking feeling was in her chest as the realization hit her that he probably heard what her and Will were talking about yesterday. And Jack was probably testing her to make sure that she was telling the truth.

Abel stood as he saw Jack, Frederick and Ryder coming down the stairs. “Agent Crawford, it’s so nice to see you again” he called as he looked from Jack to Ryder. “Who’s this?” he questioned, his eyes jumping from her oxygen tank to her form. 

Dr. Chilton gave him a warning look as Ryder and Jack came towards the cage. Ryder smiled at the plump man.

“I’m Ryder Caeli, I’m an intern at the FBI. I would shake your hand but I’m afraid the cage prevents that from happening” she answered as she heard a mumbled ‘thank god’ from Dr. Chilton. She was careful to keep Dr. Bloom’s name out of the conversation. 

He smiled and ignored Chilton’s comment “I’m glad someone has the decency to treat me with respect…Frederick, you should take notes.” She turned to look at the doctor and he scowled from the back where he stood. 

Jack cleared his throat and Abel gave an exasperated sigh, “I’m sure you and Frederick have had many a conversation about my bad behavior, Jack. How does he describe me?” 

“A pure sociopath, by the book” Dr. Chilton drawled. 

“Is that by your book, Frederick?” Abel taunted. 

“Yes” Frederick answered softly. 

“I would just like to point out that the word ‘sociopath’ has not been used by any respected psychiatrist since 1968” he asserted giving a wink at Ryder who raised her eyebrows. Jack rolled his eyes, “Dr. Gideon, do you have any information about the Chesapeake Ripper, or not?” 

“Down to brass tacks” he commented as Jack continued “you told Will Graham that you were in Dr. Lecter’s home. Why were you there?” 

“I have never set foot in Dr. Lecter’s home. I only met the man a week ago. However, Dr. Chilton—” he stopped. “Hello there doctor, I would love it if you kept your attention on me instead of Ms. Caeli’s buttocks” he smiled as Ryder turned around and narrowed her eyes at the doctor who gave an irritated sigh and turned red. 

“Anyways, Dr. Chilton was kind enough to share the details of his dining room” Abel ended. “Why would he do that?” Jack questioned and Dr. Chilton agreed from behind them as Abel responded. “Will Graham is very keen to believe that Hannibal Lecter is the Chesapeake Ripper. Dr. Chilton did very little to disavow him of that notion and encouraged me to do the same.” 

Jack and Ryder turned around as Frederick addressed them. “I apologize, Agent Crawford, Ms. Caeli, for wasting your time” but Abel wasn’t completely done. “It’s not your actions and betrayal that I resent, Dr. Chilton. It’s the lies” and with that Frederick offered to lead them out. 

Ryder gave him a parting smile as he called after them, “Dr. Chilton hired a nurse who had experience in mental hospitals, but not as an employee. That nurse attempted to murder Hannibal Lecter, and you blame Will Graham. You got the right box there, Jack, but you’re looking in the wrong corner” he gave Jack a meaningful look and Ryder another wink as she followed Jack up the stairs.   
\---  
Later that night, Jack picked her up as she quickly changed into something more fancy and drove them to Hannibal’s dinner party. She couldn’t help but connect what Will said about meat spoiling with the fact that Hannibal was hosting a dinner party right when the murders were taking place. The more she thought, the more she felt sick. She pursed her lips as she walked in with Jack right as Dr. Chilton advanced in their direction. 

He had made a comment about the different types of meats that were served and inspected the thing in his hand. Ryder let out a breathy laugh as he held it up and gave it to a waiter. 

“Nice to see you again, Dr. Chilton” Jack commented as Chilton went on to call Hannibal a Cannibal. Ryder shook her head “not according to Abel Gideon” she said as Frederick reminded her that he did not want to talk about his patient but that he was sure the man was telling Will the truth. 

Ryder scrunched up her eyebrows “why did you come here tonight if you’re so convinced?” He looked at her and gave her a knowing smile damn it, he knew. He explained it was because of Darwinism and he did not want Hannibal to suspect a thing, he then got introspective as he commented that he shouldn’t be talking to either one of them. She watched him waltz away as Hannibal came towards them 

“Jack, Ryder, I’m so happy you’re here. After all, Jack is the guest of honor, and you, Ms. Caeli” he placed a kiss on her hand “helped save me.” Ryder was in a trance as Jack explained that they couldn’t stay, but they would love to take some food to go. She broke out of it as her professor came over and hugged Ryder and greeted Jack coldly. Right then, Ryder could tell that some kind of tension between her professor and Jack. Jack was only there to get samples from the dinner party to take back to the lab, but she winced at how obvious his awkward behavior became towards them. 

They all watched as Jack double checked that he did have Hannibal’s permission to take food ‘home’ with him as Jack thanked him and looked at Ryder. She waved him off, “you know Jack. I think I’ll stick around, I need to eat something and take my brain off of work” she explained and gave him a meaningful look. I’m staying so they don’t get too suspicious, although she knew the two doctors knew something was up. Jack’s mouth opened and closed at the turn of events. 

“Precisely” Hannibal said leading her to the kitchen and leaving Jack to go out the door. “What can I get you?” Hannibal asked “oh, you don’t have to serve me yourself, doctor, I can look around and find something. Everything you’re serving looks wonderful” she tried to keep her voice even as he smiled back. Alana poked her head into the kitchen and told Hannibal that someone was asking for him. He bowed, said a reluctant apology and then went out of the kitchen. 

Ryder watched him go and turned her attention to the many foods meanwhile Will’s voice echoed in her mind. She wanted to try the heart tartar but Will’s voice wouldn’t shut up so she opted for the wine, after all, she knew she would be walking home. 

Throughout the evening, she sipped her wine and watched Dr. Bloom and Hannibal. They were very close, even closer than they were before, her professor stuck to him like glue and she scrunched up her face. She could read the signs, she clearly knew what it looked like and her professor was smitten; she chuckled and shook her head at the thought. 

For most of the night, she sat on the couch and people watched because she didn’t know half of them or what to do besides stand in a corner awkwardly and attract the attention of the host who she was trying not to be afraid of at the moment. At some point of the evening, Chilton had found her again and sat next to her, but strangely, he didn’t try to talk to her which she was grateful because she was definitely not in the mood. 

What she didn’t notice was that Fredrick was perturbed, more or less because Hannibal had caught Dr. Chilton’s eye’s more than once throughout the night and Frederick would be lying if he said that being alone was a good idea at the moment. He meant what he said earlier, he didn’t want to be seen with any potential victims, but Ryder seemed somewhat safe choice for now. 

When it hit 10:00 Ryder called it quits and walked home, dragging her oxygen tank behind her, eventually unlocked her door, closing it and falling into her bed where she slept for 10 hours. She moaned when she heard her phone going off and answered it to hear Jack’s voice say that Jimmy and Brian had tested the meat. 

It ended up being goose, pig and cow, she pursed her lips at this information but told him to keep going. He then explained how Abel Gideon had been pushed down a flight of stairs, broke his back and was abducted from the hospital. When she asked who did it, she knew the answer, but her headache was making it hard to think. Jack answered that it was none other than the Chesapeake Ripper. He left a mutilated body of a prison guard behind, tied to fishing lures with past victims hair and teeth attached. She ended the call and rested her head against her bed again, duty calls.


	19. Chapter 19

A couple of days later, Jack called her, the reason was a big one. He found Miriam Lass last night and she was alive. Ryder almost dropped her phone at the startling news. She read about Miriam's disappearance when she went missing, it was crazy to think that she turned up alive now. Jack asked Ryder to meet them in an interrogation room, which Ryder thought was odd, but didn’t question. 

She walked in to find Jack and Miriam looking into the room that held her professor and Hannibal Lecter. Jack smiled at her when she walked in, and introduced them. Miriam gave her a small smile and shook her hand while Ryder returned it. The girl looked about her age and Ryder noticed she was given time to shower and change into something else. Thank god, the poor girl had been through hell. 

Ryder turned towards the glass and let out a sigh, as Hannibal paced around and talked aloud about what he knew what they were doing. Ryder watched Miriam’s reaction as she studied Dr. Lecter. She turned away from the glass, like she was sure and told Jack he wasn’t the Chesapeake Ripper. Ryder turned her attention from the all-too-calm doctor to the nervous girl as she assured Jack it wasn’t him, but she was quick to cover the emotion. 

Jack nodded his head in understanding and released everybody. He turned to her when Miriam was escorted out of the room and they were finally alone. “Just from meeting her in that small amount of time Ryder, what can you tell me you noticed about her?” 

Ryder raised an eyebrow at the question. It seemed like the meat test wasn’t enough for him and was now having Miriam identify if Hannibal was indeed her kidnapper. “She was very skittish, nervous. Signs that she’s more than likely suffering from PTSD. However, I think that more can be told from cognitive, emotional and social standpoints. She probably has impaired memory and concentration, confusion and disorientation hence the skittishness and hypervigilance. I think at this point, she’s in shock and denial of what she’s been through. With all due respect, I’m not so sure that having her identify a possible suspect at the moment will do any good.” 

Jack let out a sigh, “thank you for your input. I will keep it in mind.” There was a heaviness in the air after that and she shrugged her shoulders, looking to change the subject. “Are you going to get Will after this?” 

She knew today was the day they were to release him, but Jack said that he wanted her at the property where they found Miriam. She hung her head when she comprehended what Jack was telling her, she couldn’t help but feel she said the wrong thing. But she obeyed and went to the property, relieved that she could see Will without chains or bars around him. 

When she arrived, she got out of her car and lugged her oxygen tank behind her, the snow making it hard to pull but she made it inside and walked around observing what she saw around the property. 

It was him, definitely him, the same panels that Beverly was hung on were there along with her blood, this made Ryder queasy. Vile memories of her friend and that last conversation resurfacing as she drummed her fingers against the handle of her oxygen tank, looking for a distraction. Relief flooded her when the men arrived. She gave Will a brilliant smile, happy that he was out. Will only frowned at her, but patted her arm when he passed her. She trailed behind them, hearing what Jack said about where Miriam was found and explained that the blood in the jar’s was Beverly’s, she closed her eyes and tuned out what she already surmised as he handed Will the file for the latest victim that was found in the other cistern. 

She listened to Will as he explained that the Ripper wanted Jack to find Miriam here, that it was theater. Will approached the subject of how the Ripper was close to being caught, but he wanted somebody else to get caught, just like what had been done to himself.  
She rubbed her eyes in exhaustion as Will was positive that the evidence would lead them away from Hannibal Lecter but Jack assured him that Miriam had already done that this morning when she was in the interrogation room. Ryder felt a pang of hurt when Jack didn’t seem to take any of her advice to heart. Will shook his head as he reminded Jack that it was two years and two years to have Hannibal in their head was not a trustworthy source. Ryder didn’t say anything, but she glanced at Jack who seemed to regard her quickly before he turned his attention elsewhere. 

\---

That evening, Ryder decided to go see Miriam Lass. Surprisingly, she was stopped by Will’s voice “why am I not surprised?” he approached her she exhaled through her nose. “You going to see Miriam?” she asked as he nodded his head, “I assume you are too.” He didn’t wait for a response, but rather continued walking, throwing over his shoulder to follow. 

Miriam peaked behind the door as she saw a familiar and unfamiliar face; it took a moment but she opened the door to let them inside, Will walked in while Ryder followed next to Miriam. She smiled at Ryder. “Good to see you again, Ms. Caeli.” Ryder returned the smile as she looked at Miriam’s new hand “and you too, but please call me Ryder. Being a ‘Ms.’ makes me feel too old” Ryder let out a dry laugh then she looked at Will. 

“I assume you’re not an FBI agent” Miriam guessed as he looked around her home. He turned towards them. “I used to teach at the Academy. And as of a day ago, I was an inmate at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Courtesy of the Chesapeake Ripper” he smiled tightly as he ended his introduction. 

Miriam accepted this and walked around him “well, the Guru told me the only person—no offense Ryder—who had any practical understanding of the Ripper was you, but he didn’t mention that you were a victim.” Ryder held up a hand to say no big deal but Will asked her who she meant by ‘Guru.’ He figured it out as he answered his own question, it was Jack Crawford. 

Will looked to Ryder, the shared glance making him play along with Miriam’s vocabulary. “The Guru tells me that you don’t remember much about what the Ripper did to you. I couldn’t remember either” he paced around the room as Miriam asked what he meant by ‘couldn’t.’ 

“I remember now. Not all of it, pieces. I was under his influence. He used some kind of light to induce a seizure response in my brain. It created blackouts and lost time.” Ryder watched Miriam’s facial gestures, she was willing to open herself up to what Will was saying, but she wasn’t willing to open her mind to the possibilities of what she went through. 

“I remember the light” she sat on the couch “he would stand in front of it at a distance from me, silhouetted, very still. He would listen to chamber music, still hear that. And his voice, low and even, would pull me to him, like a current.” 

She seemed to shake herself of a memory when Will sat down across from her. “You and I are part of his design. He wanted you to be free. He wanted me to be free too.” Miriam winced “neither of us are really free. He’s not done” she finished as she peered over at Ryder who had sat down during their conversation. 

“Are you part of his design?” she asked Ryder. Ryder sat upright in her chair as she looked to Will for what to say. She inhaled sharply “I haven’t figured that out yet, Miriam. I believe in Will, and I’m obviously still alive, so maybe I am” she surmised. She noticed Miriam looking at her oxygen tank, but then she quickly directed her attention up again. “Well, for your sake, I hope you remain safe” she looked at Ryder as Will got up and offered his hand to Ryder to stand. She grabbed it and as they neared the door, Will explained how appreciated the information was and that they would see her again. With that, she bid them ‘goodbye’ and shut the door when they descended the stairs. 

When she got back to the department, Jack was in a rush to get to Dr. Chilton’s house. She found out why when her and Jack went into the house—it was a massacre. Three dead bodies and one of them was Abel Gideon. Jimmy viewed the deceased body of Abel and said Chilton had been ‘carving steaks off him for days.’ 

Brian came across medical textbooks with ‘the wound man’ Miriam found when her and Jack visited Hannibal’s office earlier that day. Jack considered each piece of evidence they offered and seemed to connect the dots. He explained Chilton had been consulting on Miriam’s case and had access to case files when he disappeared. Just as he was mulling it over in his head his phone rang, he picked it up and walked away. 

Ryder, on the other hand, was clashing with what she knew and what she was seeing in front of her. All the evidence was there drawn in blood. But there still was a feeling of doubt, Chilton was a coward and possibly the most selfish person she had ever met, but not a murderer. She thought more and it came to her that the most obvious part Jack didn’t seem to realize was that Chilton mentioned on numerous occasions that he had trouble digesting animal protein, and could much less digest human protein. 

She came out of her thoughts as Jack hurried back and told them that he had to go get Chilton at Will’s house, he pointed at Ryder when she started to follow. “I want you to go back to the station. Be ready when I come back with him and tell Alana, Okay?” He left and she remained in the same spot still looking at the carnage and feeling sullen within all the madness. 

\---

Ryder was in the room when Dr. Chilton was shot. She saw the way Miriam was losing control of her feelings, Jack hugged her and then she grabbed his gun so quickly that Ryder had no time to react. Ryder stared at the gunshot in the two-way glass, her ears were ringing as Jack shouted for her to get Miriam out of there. She registered what he tried to communicate when she saw him pointed at the door, but all she heard was muffled speech and blabbering coming from somewhere. 

Miriam hid her face as she grabbed onto Ryder’s shoulder and cried. Ryder put a hand around her back and escorted her out of the room as she steered the women next to her and her oxygen tank to a room where she sat Miriam down. Miriam was crying harder, her eyes were red so Ryder retrieved a whole tissue box and gave it to her. Miriam thanked her as she blew her nose. Ryder sat on the couch next to her and waited for her to calm down, when Miriam’s crying had subsided, Ryder got up then got up and got her water. Ryder assumed that Miriam experienced an episode of sensory overload, but Ryder never saw nor heard of any extreme episodes such like the one she just underwent. Ryder herself was having trouble grasping what exactly happened in the last half hour. 

She could make out some muffled sounds, but her hearing was coming back now. Just then a paramedic had come in and released Ryder from her duty so she returned to Jack who watched Chilton get escorted out on a stretcher and Alana who allowed a paramedic to check her out. Ryder was in a stupor, she saw people’s lips moving and people touching her and faces leveling with hers but she didn’t hear any of it. She told Jack—or hoped she told him—that she needed to go home. Next thing she knew, she was in her bed, asleep and safe.


	20. Chapter 20

Jack hadn’t called her, nor Dr. Bloom in over a week. She figured it was a time to re-collect after Miriam shot Dr. Chilton. In that time, she had finished multiple assignments for her classes and went to therapy like usual. But this time her therapist was exuberant, telling her that he thought she could probably stop using her oxygen tank. She was even happier when her doctor agreed to what the therapist said and told her that she no longer needed it. 

As she walked out of that clinic that day, she didn’t worry about the oxygen tank trailing behind her, she just had to remember her asthma medication and keep up with her somewhat active lifestyle so she didn’t relapse. 

When she went home that night, she got her mail as usual but pulled out a letter that had calligraphy style writing on it. It was a dinner invitation from Hannibal Lecter and it was scheduled for tomorrow night. She looked at it, a feeling of uneasiness with what she knew about him and what Will told her. 

Eventually she made a decision and called Hannibal to say she could come and thanked him for thinking of her. He returned that he was happy, along with Will and Jack, that they could enjoy her presence and bid her goodnight as they both hung up. 

The next night, she labored over what she wore and decided on a black pencil skirt and a tight red top, hoping it wasn’t too much. When she had gotten there, she was led to the table by Hannibal himself who pulled out a chair next to Jack for her. After he pushed her in when she sat down, he disappearing into the kitchen to serve their meal. 

Jack smiled at her and Will busied himself with looking down at his plate when Hannibal walked in introducing the meal as a fish course with a broth, vegetables and hollandaise sauce. She took a breath, relief flooded her feelings when she learned that Will and Jack had gone fishing that morning to provide for the meal. 

As he served them individually, he told Will that he hoped he didn’t harbor any doubts about what was served at his dinner table. Jack gave Will a cautionary look. Will peaked up at Ryder and she quickly looked away, trying to get away from the subject. 

Jack cleared his throat, “no doubts, Dr. Lecter. Only the wounds we dealt each other, until we got to the truth.” Dr. Lecter still moved around the table “which is why we need to move past apologies and forgiveness” he sat down. “Chilton has many victims besides the dead. We will absorb this experience, it will change us.” 

They all had begun to dig into their fish when Jack spoke again. “None of our actions were personal.” 

Will scrunched up his eyebrows as Ryder inwardly winced “I tried to have Hannibal killed. Isn’t that personal?” 

Hannibal shook his head “you thought I was a killer. The greatest crime now would be to walk away from what we’ve shared and suffered. In many ways, we need each other” he looked around the table and stopped on Ryder. “We are the only ones who will know what this feels like.” He brought a forkful of fish to his mouth and swallowed. “I see you do not have your oxygen tank anymore Ms. Caeli” he observed, changing the subject. 

She smiled up at him and to Jack and Will when they centered their attention on her “I actually was just advised to be taken off of it” she smiled down at her plate. “My lungs will never be healthy as yours are, but they are almost back to where they were before.” She ended as all the men let out an appreciate cheer. 

“That’s great to hear, Ryder” Will held up his glass before he took a sip of his wine, “I bet it feels better already to not have that weight on your shoulders.” Ryder pursed her lips at his comment, knowing that it had a double meaning. But she answered him that she was just happy to not lug it around anymore. It was peaceful the rest of the meal as they talked about the happenings of the FBI, but she was content to listen knowing that it probably wouldn’t happen again.

\---

That Monday, Ryder had politely declined when Jack asked her if she wanted to be included on a case that involved a women who was ‘stuffed’ inside a horse. She offered that she would be willing to work on the next case, but finals were next week and she had to focus on that. He nodded his head and agreed to the next case, and wished her luck on her exams as she thanked him and went back to the Academy to study. Throughout that week and the next she was off, she was grateful that she declined the case; it sounded pretty brutal to her. She wasn’t a vegan of any sort but she hated seeing dead animals and she felt that this one would have made her particularly sick. 

\---

She finished her exams and was relieved to say that she now had less stress put on top for the time being so she could focus on the cases that Jack wanted to include her in. Speaking of Jack, she had gotten a call from him, he explained that Hannibal was hosting dinner tonight and asked him, along with Ryder to come. 

An hour later he picked her up and they drove through the winter snow to Hannibal’s house. When Jack rang the doorbell, Hannibal invited them inside and told them to wait in the dining room while he finished their meal. Her and Jack were admiring the art piece above the fireplace as Hannibal brought the meals in to be served. Jack commented that it smelled wonderful and Ryder agreed as they sat down in their already-set places. He explained that it was a Sacromonte omelet with liver and sweetbreads and went on to comment that Sacromonte was a part of the Gypsy hood of Granada. 

He became reminiscent as he reflected that he had been there and asked if Jack or Ryder had, but both shook their heads. Ryder looked down at her meal and they all began cutting into theirs as Hannibal continued. “I remember my time there so vividly, like I frescoed the walls of my mind.” 

Jack laughed “I used to be afraid of losing my memory. What I wouldn’t give to forget a thing or two now” he brought the piece of omelet up to his mouth and ate it. 

Ryder did the same, thinking about Jack’s statement. “Memory is a knife, it hurts us all, Jack” she put another forkful of food into her mouth and continued looking down as both men regarded her. 

Hannibal hesitantly took his gaze off of Ryder as he offered Jack advice “I suppose that our memeories hurt us, sometimes it's a curse to remember all one's been through. Memory gives moments immortality, but forgetfulness promotes a healthy mind” he swallowed his food. “It’s good to forget” he paused, “what are you trying to forget, Jack?” Ryder picked up her head to listen. 

He pointed at her and Hannibal with his fork “doubt. I let doubt in.” 

“About me?” Hannibal asked as Jack took a sip of his wine and shook his head “about Will.” Ryder pursed her lips, and took a sip of wine, “you weren’t the only one Jack” she said quietly. Jack gazed at her “did you believe he killed all those people, Ryder? There were times that I couldn’t make out what you believed.” 

She could feel Hannibal’s eyes on her, so she picked her next words carefully, “I just came out of the hospital from being poisoned, Jack. I didn’t know what to think. One moment someone’s your friend, the next, they’re being convicted of murder. I speak of those who were in the court room and believed in only the superficial evidence.” Jack’s eyebrows shot up and she put her head down again, feeling like she shouldn’t have said anything as Hannibal cocked his head at her words. But he recovered and cleared his throat as he announced that Will was no longer up for discussion since he now employed Dr. Lecter as this therapist. 

Ryder closed her open mouth as this became news to her, she was thankful that she had swallowed her wine before he told them the news. Jack seemed unfazed and remarked how he hoped that Hannibal’s therapy would work for Will as Hannibal answered back that therapy only works if there is a genuine desire to get better. He nodded towards Ryder to signify that she was the perfect example, but she just fidgeted under their attention. Jack picked his wine glass up in celebration and clinked his with Hannibal’s and Ryders, all the while she bit her tongue.

The next day, Ryder kept to her promise with Jack and went with to investigate a killing that Will noted looked very much like an animal attack. At the moment Ryder, Hannibal, Jack and Will were looking at the grisly scene that Brian and Jimmy were investigating. Brian replied that the truck diver’s Esophagus was destroyed and his head was almost severed from the body. Jack said that whatever it was, it wasn’t afraid of any human and Jimmy guessed it was a bear or wolf. 

Will shook his head and commented that wolves and bears drag their kill away. Brian added that everything was accounted for leaving Hannibal to guess it was a rabid animal. Ryder listened and asked Jimmy if there was any livestock mutilations in the area; he nodded and reported it was the same pattern and mutilation as this victim. 

Jack and Will both agreed whatever it was, it was getting closer and was going to kill again with a more urbanized victim. Ryder surmised it was blood sport as all the men turned and looked back to the wrangled body, the blood leaking from the top of the truck and staining the pure snow. 

\---

A couple of days later, Ryder found herself in another crime scene that resembled the animal attack they had investigated earlier. Both bodies ripped to shreds with bite wounds all over them. She met Jack in the morgue to talk about the bite radiuses that could compare to the bite wounds found on the victim. 

While talking, Hannibal had walked in and gave possible conditions the person could have that would cause this animalistic behavior. She listened as he named off the usual mood disorders: depression and schizophrenia that she wasn’t surprised by at all. Afterwards, Jack and Hannibal walked into the hallway to talk privately while Ryder examined the skulls, trying to pinpoint what this ‘thing’ could possibly be.


	21. Chapter 21

Ryder got an urgent call from Jack the next morning to come down the Museum of Natural History. When she got there, she looked over the balcony and down to the lighted skeleton on display. As she went down the steps and neared the exhibition, she bit her lip at the gruesome scene that held the suspect Jack and Will had just visited yesterday named Randall Tier. 

Ryder circled the blood ridden skeleton, taking in the ripped flesh and blood that dripped from it. Jack suggested the killer had to display the body rather than dispose of it and Hannibal observed that it was a reminder of death.

She noted aloud the victim was treated in such a way that didn’t show respect. Hannibal gave her a fond smile and added that it was for humiliation. She eyed Will who stood off, away from the skeleton as he reminded them that the killer wasn’t mocking Randall, but was commemorating him. Ryder noticed the meaningful look Hannibal gave Will a meaningful look as he pointed out that the killer had no fear for the consequences of the kill—or guilt. 

She watched Will as he stepped forward and put himself in the killer’s shoes. Some kind of unspoken language was going on between the two and it left an uncomfortable pit in her stomach. She watched Jack’s reactions to the two, but he didn’t seem to notice the behavior. 

Not long after, he opened his eyes and said that Randall knew his killer. He had a familiarity with the predator, it was someone who met him and understood him. Ryder listened as she asked Will if the killer empathized with him. Will still looked out at the skeleton as he shook his head and told her not to mistake understanding with empathy. 

She rubbed her eyes with irritation as Will explained that the killer envied Randall for coming into it on his own. They stood in front of the mangled skeleton as Will ended that this was the nightmare that followed the killer out of his dreams. Ryder listened to Will, raising an eyebrow at the man’s oddly precise words. 

\---

That afternoon, Ryder was helping Alana with some undergrad student papers she was grading after she came back from the museum. Ryder also noticed that Alana seemed particularly chipper that morning; that is until they were walking outside to her car when Freddie Lounds came out of nowhere and started following them. Both women looked behind them at her when they heard her voice. 

“I’ve always admired teachers, molding impressionable young minds. But you can only learn so much and live” she gave Ryder a coy smile. 

“No one likes a know-it-all, Freddie” Alana huffed out as she walked faster, Ryder tried to keep up. 

“Hannibal Lecter, taught you when you were an impressionable young mind” Freddie prodded. Oh boy, Ryder thought as she tried to keep her head down when Alana was speaking.

“Your book is about Will Graham, it’s not about me or my student” she waved a hand in Ryder’s direction. Freddie ignored her comment. 

“Were you sleeping with Hannibal Lecter when you were his student, or is that a recent development?” Ah, that’s why. Ryder was reminded of why Alana was in a good mood, but shook the awkward thought away. 

It remained quiet as Freddie got exited. “You are sleeping with him. I was just guessing. Figured you had to be sleeping with one of them. Maybe that’s why you can’t see it” Freddie mused, as Alana and Ryder had stopped walking, she leaned over and eyed Ryder who was careful to keep her face emotionless. 

“See what?” Alana huffed out, irritated. 

“Will graham was right about Hannibal Lecter. And I was right about Will Graham” Freddie boasted. 

Dr. Bloom put a hand on Ryder’s lower back to keep her going “I’m not having this or any conversation with you, Freddie.” 

But Freddy persisted, “Hannibal Lecter had four patients die while under his care. Three formal patients die after his care, and then there’s Will Graham and hopefully not your student” Freddie eyed Ryder. “All that fuss about Dr. Lecter. Will even tried to kill him. And now they’re back in therapy together and another former patient is dead.” 

Alana was officially pissed off when she whipped around. “Will understands that Hannibal Lecter can help him. As for my student, she has no part in any of this except to get some experience and has no wish to be involved.” 

Freddie looked between them, “maybe what Will understands is if you can’t beat Hannibal Lecter, join him. Right Ms. Caeli?” Freddie cocked her head at Ryder, but Alana turned around and pushed Ryder to the other side of the car, rolling her eyes as she started the car and drove away from the troublesome reporter. 

Ryder sat in the front seat, going over what Freddie said. The woman was so obnoxious, but what she said sparked a thought in Ryder’s head, what did Freddie mean when she said she was right about Will? Meanwhile, Alana took out the rest of her anger on the accelerator and sped along the road, passing the carcass of some dead animal on the side of the road. Ryder noticed it on her side of the car, the animal half decayed or eaten, she was unsure. She didn’t think twice about it until the thought of the skeleton on display at the museum came to mind. She had all but stopped herself from shivering when she remembered the weird behavior the two men shared seemed to correlate with what the reporter was saying. Ryder put a hand up to rest her forehead, the carcass left behind the fast moving car.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, happy Independence Day! Here's another chapter for your entertainment.
> 
> \---

Ryder was still sleeping when Jack called her the next morning. She looked at the name on her phone and let out a moan before she answered the phone. 

“Ryder, I’m going to need you to be here with everybody. We think we might have found Freddie Lounds body.” Ryder didn’t say anything as she leaned her head back on her pillow, “okay I’ll be down there in 20 minutes.” And with that Ryder hopped off of her bed and took the quickest shower in her life, got into her car and drove down to the department, thinking about how her and Dr. Bloom had just spoken to the reporter yesterday. 

She went into the morgue to find that she was not the last person, but Jack walked in right behind her as Brian started. “Orthodontics confirmed, it’s Freddie Lounds. A little bit of kerosene incendiary journalism” he pointed at her jaw. “See? No scabrous crust on her chin. She was dead before the match was struck. Blood’s already pooled to the lowest parts of her body. She’s been dead at least 24 hours.” Brian finished and Will looked around at everybody. “Freddie had a longing to be noticed. She was noticed.” 

“Freddie’s ultimate falling was her inability to keep herself out of her own stories” Jack pointed out to Will.

Brian held up a finger “there’s more to this story, check it out” he turned the body over. Hannibal looked at it, “severely-burned bodies tend to split along lines of musculature, but that looks like an incision.” 

“It looks like her psoas muscles were cut out” Ryder observed as she bent down to observe the incision. Brian agreed “that’s right, with what looks like a hunting knife.” Jack looked quizzically at the body “why did he burn her?” 

Hannibal ventured that “whoever did this was not striking out against Miss Lounds’ exploitative brand of journalism. This is because of something else, something sacred.” Ryder had mulled over what Hannibal said. 

“Freddie Lounds had to burn. She was fuel. Fire destroys and it creates.” Will explained. But Ryder knew where he was going with this thought “It is mythical. She won’t rise from the ashes, but her killer will” she emphasized as all the men in the room looked to each other. 

\---

A couple of days later, Freddie Lounds funeral was held and Alana and Ryder stood in the back, away from the mourners and watched from a distance. Ryder saw someone coming from the side of her peripheral vision and turned her head to see Will, Alana had seen too and greeted him coldly. “I’m here to mourn Freddie Lounds. Can’t imagine that’s why you’re here.” 

It was cold outside, but Ryder noticed the area around them seemed to get even colder with their interaction. “There’s all sorts of reasons why I’d go to Freddie Lounds’ funeral. It’s common for a killer to revisit their victims after death, attend funerals, return to crime scenes” he sniffed. Ryder kept her attention on the funeral but could see Alana turned towards him. “Anyone suspicious?”

“Besides me?” he coaxed. 

“That was implied” the coldness touched her voice again. 

“You were expecting me” he surmised. “It’s common for a killer to revisit their victims after death” she repeated. 

He scoffed “I’m not here to dance on Freddie Lounds’ grave, if that’s what you’re getting at.” 

“And you’re not here looking for her killer, either. You don’t seem particularly interested in the crowd” she fired back. 

“Are you profiling me, Dr. Bloom?” he asked as Alana remained silent and Ryder listened quietly. 

“I’m here because my psychiatrist suggested it would be therapeutic” Will divulged. Ryder saw her professor look once more at Will and then walk closer to the crowd, leaving them alone. 

He looked down at her, “you know how to use a gun, right?” he asked as she whipped her head over to face him. “Yes, of course. I learned in my undergrad years.” There was a beat of silence, “why are you asking Will?” 

“You know why.” He whispered. “You’re scaring me Will. Are you okay?” Ryder’s voice shook but he didn’t respond, only listened to the faint voice of the preacher.

After a while, Will whispered to her again, “You know I haven’t been okay for a while now. But just know it’s never too late for you Ryder. Just stay away and remember what I told you” he said as she nodded her head and walked towards the crowd of mourners. 

\---

Ryder was in disbelief when she had to come back to the same exact place she had been earlier in the day—Freddie Lounds burial site. She stepped into the sight cocked her head at the newest display the team was investigating. She saw Will standing off to the side, a disinterested look on his face but walked up next to Ryder. 

“Extra parts were harvested onsite” Brian noted as Jimmy lamented the fact that she hadn’t been in the ground longer than Jesus. Ryder could see Jack and Alana coming through the ‘caution’ tape, Dr. Bloom throwing Will another cold look. “This killer is trying to get somebodies attention” Jack noted. 

“He has direction. His chaos is getting more orderly” Alana added on. 

“So first, he burns effigies, and now he’s assembling them?” Jack grasped as Dr. Bloom answered for him. “Burning Freddie Lounds wasn’t his first effigy. Whoever killed Freddie, killed Randall Tier, mutilated him, dismembered him and put him on display.” 

Will was in a trance as Ryder elbowed him to get his attention as Alana was talking to him. “Randall Tier was his suspect and Hannibal’s patient and Freddie Lounds was investigating his murder when she died.” Ryder looked worriedly at Will but the man didn’t seem to share her worried demeanor. 

“Freddie Lounds was investigating a lot of things when she died” Will calmly answered back. 

Alana kept building on her theory “this psychopath was building himself up. Or someone was building him up.” 

Will turned towards the doctor, “he has a benefactor who admires his destruction” he nodded but Alana stood in the same place, giving Will a death glare. 

Ryder stepped in-between the two, “well it is very interesting, see how the body is set up? It’s Shiva. Shiva is both destroyer and benefactor.” Alana’s breath could be seen in the light as she huffed out that he was being guided. Jack gave the body a quizzical look and asked if it was some kind of signpost. 

Ryder stepped towards the ‘effigy’ the pieces connecting. “Freddie’s killer didn’t do this, his benefactor did.” 

Jack looked horrified as he asked why. Ryder turned back to the statue “it’s a courtship” the coldness, becoming colder as she looked out of the corner of her eye at Will, a dread overtaking her body.

\---

Ryder came into the department the next day, not because she was asked too, but because she wanted to visit the medical examiners to see what they found. Yesterday night left her with a sense of dread and she didn’t get much sleep thinking that the two killers that were as close as described were in fact Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham. She went back in forth in her head last night, instead of getting sleep, of why Will acted one way, but did another. One moment he was the doctor’s friend and patient, the other, he was trying to kill him. It occurred to her that Will could have his own agenda, but then again, Hannibal could have his own too. 

She rubbed her eyes in exhaustion, but stopped her movement when she saw Jack escort Alana into a nearby room. She walked down the hallway and opened the door to be faced with a surprised Jack, distraught Alana and a very much alive Freddie Lounds. Her mouth hit the floor as the red-haired women stood up and greeted them. 

Ryder excused herself, as Jack escorted her out. Everything Ryder thought she knew was coming to a screeching halt. Everything she thought she knew was now a shade of gray as she exited the building, Jack trying to explain what was going on. When they reached her car, Jack stopped talking, seeing that the girl was obviously upset.

“I think I need a couple of days off” she replied and he nodded. “Okay, that’s fine. You come back when you feel ready. What you just saw, that was just as much as a surprise to us as it was to you” he comforted but she got into her car but he held onto the door, preventing her from shutting it. 

“Under no circumstances are you to tell anybody what you saw today, am I clear?” 

“Always, sir.”

He let go of the door, allowing her to shut it. She started the car and rolled down the window, “see you in a couple of days” she huffed as he watched the car drive out of the parking lot.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my fellow humans, I sincerely hope that everybody had an amazing Fourth of July with lots of colorful fireworks!!! That last chapter was not so firework-y or colorful, but maybe this one will be better...ok maybe not, but it is colorful. 
> 
> \---

Ryder sat at home, trying to sort out the jumbled mess she called a brain. She came to the conclusion that thinking hurts. She blinked a few times, coming back to reality as she heard buzzing on a table nearby that she identified as her phone. When she answered it, she received a panicked call from Alana saying for her to come down to Hannibal’s house immediately. Ryder got shivers as Alana’s voice shook and quickly went out of her apartment and started walking briskly to Hannibal’s house. She pulled her inhaler out of her pocket and took her medicine as it started to rain; it was freezing but Ryder kept going, making sure to breathe evenly. 

As soon as she walked up to his residence, she noticed that the top window was shattered and front door was wide open, letting light spill out into the darkness. When she got closer, she saw somebody lying in the pathway of the front door, she tried to run which made her stumble. 

Her heart sank as she saw her professor lying on the cold, wet, ground; she fell to her knees and tried brushing the droplets away from her face. Alana was gasping and besides from her eye and chest movements, she was still. Ryder felt for a pulse and found a slow one that beat in her neck. 

“Doctor Bloom, can you hear me?” Ryder grasped her shoulder as Alana opened her eyes and let out a hoarse “yes” which made Ryder exhale in relief. When she tried to speak Alana interrupted her. “I’m okay, I called backup, but Abigail pushed me out the window on Hannibal’s orders. Jack’s inside, Will is too and so is Hannibal and he’s very dangerous.” She gasped and closed her eyes, “I don’t want you to go inside, Ryder.” Ryder sat back on her haunches, trying to take in the news. Abigail was alive? 

She tried speaking again but Alana had fainted from either the coldness, the pain or the shock. Ryder inhaled sharply as she checked her pulse again to make sure she was still alive. Ryder looked from her unconscious professor to the door, trying to make a decision on what to do. When she did, she pursed her lips and stood up to go into the house, idiot she thought, I didn’t even bring my gun. 

Just as she looked around the corner a hand came out of nowhere and forcefully pushed her against the wall, making her bang her head against it. She closed her eyes to still her blurry vision. She leaned her head against the wall as she reopened her eyes to come face to face with the devil himself. 

He was a mess, his usually neat hair was out of place, his eyes were red and wet and there was blood everywhere on him. “Alana said you were in here” she murmured breathlessly. 

“Here I am” he ground out in a thick voice. She saw his hand come up, a silver glint catching the faint light, it was rested against her chest. She could feel it, it was a curved knife and it was directly pointed over her heart. Her eyes burned from the tears that threatened to spill. 

“I’ve changed many lives tonight, Ryder.” She shut her eyes and opened them when she felt Hannibal clutch her shoulder and lean in to whisper to her. 

“I can still change yours too. It doesn’t have to end this way” he breathed into her ear. “I don’t have to kill you. You owe me a debt.” He was so close, she could smell the coppery scent of blood on him. 

He leaned away as he brought his hand up to her face and took the knife away, the tip had left a little hole where blood dripped from her chest. He stroked her chin with his thumb and then took a step backwards. He held his pointer finger to his lips as a lasting reminder before he turned the corner, grabbed his coat and walked out into the pouring rain, letting it rinse his sin away. 

Ryder was still standing in the same place even after he was gone. She let him go. She should have chased after him, tried to arrest him, tried to do anything than what she did which was stand there. But she didn’t and now she was standing in the dark, dripping wet, freezing and covered in blood. 

She proceeded into the dark hallway, I’m not ready to face this, her footsteps seemed to echo after her as her breath became more raged with each step. When she entered the kitchen she was met with slaughter. Her hand coming up to her mouth, Will and Abigail were in a puddle of each other’s blood as she raced up to them and went down to her knees to inspect Abigail. 

She felt for a pulse in her neck, which gushed blood from the long cut Hannibal had made. Ryder’s lips were dry as she called out her name and didn’t feel or hear any response, she knew Abigail was gone. She inclined her neck and shut Abigail’s eyes as tears fell down her face. 

She crawled over to Will and turned him over so she could feel for a pulse. She let out a relieved sigh when she felt one and began searching where Hannibal had hurt him. She picked up the bottom of his shirt and found the wound, it looked like he was gutted. It made her sick looking at her friend and to be honest she was tired of seeing him covered in blood. 

She took off her coat and put it over his wound, trying to stop the bleeding as she called his name. It seemed like she was in her own world until she saw paramedics come through the doorway of the kitchen, kneeling next to Abigail and feeling for a pulse like she did. 

She felt hands on both sides of her arms, helping her up as they escorted her out of the room, but she resisted, saying that she had to stay with Will. But they still held onto her and pulled her out of the house, towards the ambulance as they sat her down on the edge of it. They asked her a series of questions, and checked her over even though she insisted she was fine; she was careful to conceal the pin prick of a wound on her chest. When they were done, they told her that she was okay except for a mild concussion and put a blanket over her. 

She sat there in the cold of the night, watching her professor being wheeled onto a different ambulance and Will being wheeled in after her. Jack was brought out too, along with Abigail, who they zipped up into a body bag. 

Just then, two police officers approached her and asked her questions relating to why she was there and her relation was to the victims and she spoke the truth. But when they asked her if she saw the man responsible, she shook her head. She was thankful when they walked away as a paramedic came over and asked if she wanted to ride with somebody. She scooted past the officers and gunned straight for the vehicle with Will and Dr. Bloom. 

The lights were on, but nobody was home when she sat down on the one side next to Will as the paramedics worked on both of them. Before they closed the doors, she looked towards the officers again. She let him go, her thoughts answered their question. And she let him go because he was right, she was in his debt, and the payment was hear no evil, speak no evil and see no evil.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty everybody, we're onto phase two of my diabolical plan—I mean story.

8 months later…

Ryder hadn’t seen much of Frederick Chilton since he was shot by Miriam Lass while incarcerated. She felt bad for him since it seemed like horrible things kept happening to him. But quite frankly, Ryder concluded, it was his own doing. Right after he had come to after he was shot, he copy righted the name ‘Hannibal the Cannibal’ and even though Ryder thought it was catchy, he was only writing the book for his own gains. 

These were the thoughts that came to mind after she came out of Will’s room and saw him approach her in the hallway, right before he would be seeing Will; he was holding a big bouquet of flowers. She looked down at them and raised an eyebrow at him. “These aren’t for you” he paused “unless you want them” he asked giving her a flirty smile. 

“Frederick please” she inhaled and exhaled slowly. “What are you doing here?” 

“Just visiting old friends” he said innocently. She shook her head as she sat down in a little alcove that had a couple of chairs in it. He narrowed his eyes at her “alright, so we both know why I’m here.” She directed her gaze at the rooms where Alana and Will were, “they will too.” 

He ignored her, “you know I’m going to write a book when Hannibal’s caught—” Ryder corrected him “if he’s caught.” 

He contemplated her statement and gave her a smug smile, “that, right there, is why he didn’t leave a mark on you isn’t it? I would love to have your insight on Hannibal in my book.” She got up as he leaned closer to her. 

“Frederick, I will tell you this and I have a feeling I will tell you again. Writing this book as a benefit for yourself is not going to work.” 

He looked indignant “I’m not writing for myself, I’m giving insight to the general public on Hannibal when he’s caught.” 

Ryder rolled her eyes “if he’s caught” she corrected again. “And that’s complete bull. Whatever you say about Hannibal, he will refute because he knows how to push your buttons Frederick.” He stood up and faced her “if you want to talk, you know where to find me” he swaggered away. She scoffed at the ridiculous man as she exited the hospital. 

\---

Jack was the first to get better, Ryder suspected it was because of his wife. He refused to staky at the hospital and wanted to go home to recover; Ryder thought it was the best thing for him really. Not soon after, the man was healthy as a horse, and back at the office, but returned home early in the evenings to be with his wife. 

She asked to come over a few times to visit with Bella and talk with Jack, which he appreciated. Ryder liked Bella, and Bella liked seeing someone besides her husband when she woke up. But there was an unhappy feeling, Ryder could feel it in the melancholy room each time she entered. This time was no different when she sat down next to Jack. 

“Frederick came to visit me” he whispered as Ryder directed her attention to him. “Oh really? What did he say?” 

Jack sniffed, “nothing important.” Ryder let out a breathy laugh as Jack half smiled. “He’s trying to get people on his side, as usual. But something he said did spike my attention.” 

“What was that?” she questioned as she looked at Bella. “You and Will Graham are alive because Hannibal Lecter likes it that way.” She nodded her head at his words, going over what she was to say. 

“Jack, you and I both know that Chilton has ulterior motives, I trust you let him down gently.” Jack eyed her “I did” he agreed and Ryder put her hand on his arm. “Focus on what’s important. I think you already know that” she said looking at him then to his wife. Jack nodded in agreement. 

As the conversation came to a close she saw Bella open her eyes and smile at her and Jack. “I came for a visit” Ryder said, coming up to the bed; she was so beautiful, even as she lay sick, she still held that exquisite charm. Bella smiled and grabbed her hand as the light out the window faded into the evening. 

Not two days later, Jack called her to say that Bella had died. Ryder remembered the somber voice as she expressed her condolences. She couldn’t possibly imagine what it was like losing a spouse and how it felt for Jack to lose his better half. Afterword’s, she along with Alana helped pick out the outfit his wife would be wearing for the viewing and packed up her things that Jack wanted out. She had to admire how strong he was, she wanted to cry every time she set foot in his house and she only met Bella a few months ago. 

When the funeral came, she watched Jack throughout the ceremony. He remained distant, which was to be expected, but when he handed her a letter he had gotten she found his attitude just. Ryder traced the beautiful calligraphy on the parchment and knew it was from Hannibal. She was surprised at the gesture, but for him, it dug the nail deeper. 

\---

Alana was the second to recover. It took more time for her since she shattered her entire pelvis, but she did it and was now walking with a cane. Ryder visited her the most, since her hospital room was a white curtain, bright lights and nothing to do but stare at the ceiling. She ended up reading a lot of Flannery O’Connor, which brought somewhat of a smile to the doctors face. She got better over the 8 month period and thanked Ryder on many occasions. However, as soon as her doctor was out of the hospital, she started acting differently to Ryder and Ryder couldn’t put her finger on it. 

The only way to describe Dr. Bloom’s behavior was that she was no longer the caring professor that helped her along, but rather a cold and calculating enemy that was hell-bent on revenge. Ryder suspected it was because her professor started seeing Mason Verger, who she thought was a sadistic snake and creeped her out to no end. She hoped that her professor was acting as a doctor towards him, but sadly, Ryder knew that she was more than likely wrong with the shift in behavior. 

\---

Will, was the last to recover. He stayed away from everybody, but Ryder came to see him occasionally. When she did, he was troubled and fought a lot of personal demons, so she was startled when he had stopped by the department one morning to say goodbye. 

Ryder gave him a hesitant look, she knew this would happen at some point. “Why are you going?” she asked as he exhaled “you know why.” She saw the pictures Will showed her of the body that was found in Italy, crumpled into an unordinary position just the other day. They both knew it was a sign that validated Hannibal’s presence in Italy. 

She shook her head as he trailed off “I’ll keep in touch—” But she held up her hands. “I don’t want to know what you find, Will. It might sound selfish, but I’m not sure I want to know what he’s up to.” He gazed at her, a knowing look in his eyes. 

Ryder hadn’t told anyone, except for Will, about what happened between Hannibal and herself. She didn’t trust anyone and as far as anyone knew, her professor called her and she showed up to a house that resembled a warzone, missing the monster that caused it all. 

“There’s a reason he let you live” he stepped closer to her as she nodded. “But he let you live too.” Will only looked down “he left me to die.” 

“Will, doctors said that you were hurt, but it would have taken a long time for you to bleed out and die. Hannibal knew someone would show up, it’s a good thing I did, isn’t it?” she cocked her head at him as he looked up and half smiled. “I never did thank you for that.” But she shook her head, “you don’t have to.” 

Will spoke up again over the quiet that settled between them, “he didn’t give us an ending yet.” 

“Didn’t give you an ending” she corrected him but he scoffed. “He didn’t attack you for a reason, Ryder. He wanted you to live” he repeated. Once again, it was noiseless between them before Will seemed to remember something. “You are part of his design” he murmured and Ryder smiled softly “maybe, I think it had more to do with a debt that was overdue.” 

He put his hands in his pockets, inspecting her before changing the subject. “Anyways, I already asked Alana if she would take care of my dogs, so you wouldn’t have to worry about it.” 

“I wouldn’t have minded, it would take my mind off of things” she answered back but he started walking away. 

“Be careful” she called after him and in response he shook his head and looked over his shoulder “I’ll try.” She let out a sigh as she watched him go, knowing she wouldn’t see Will for a long while. 

\---

Ryder was told by Alana that Jack came over to Will’s last night, looking for him. He’s already gone, Ryder thought when Alana told her. And a couple of days later, Jack booked a flight for Italy. 

He explained that his place wasn’t in looking for Hannibal, but instead he was going for the sole purpose to bring Will back. Which reminded her that he was still angry with her when he found out that she knew about Will’s plans and didn’t tell him. Ryder felt like she should have tried harder to stop Will from going with Jack mad at her. But in the end everybody knew that nobody could have stopped Will from seeking out Hannibal. He was a junkie, hooked on a drug. 

To make up for it, Ryder got a small bronze tin for his wife’s cremations and picked it up the day he was supposed to leave. She waited outside the airport and was relieved when she saw him step out of a taxi. She gave a wave but saw the stern expression before anything else. She looked down to the tin she was holding and presented him with it, already containing his wife’s cremations. 

“I remember you talking about how you met your wife in Italy, it wouldn’t be any good to bury her here.” He looked at the tin and gave a sad smile as he said a soft thanks.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Will” she pursed his lips. 

“I know why you didn’t” he paused “it’s okay for now, but I would like it if you told me this kind of stuff in the future.” She nodded her head and smiled, watching him nestle the remains in his arm. He nodded at her before he wheeled his suitcase off into the airport and onto the plane that would take him to Italy.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chap...hopefully this will please your insatiable appetite!
> 
> \---

What kept Ryder occupied for the time Will and Jack were gone, was her schoolwork. She caught up on her assignments while everybody was away and it was finally quiet for a couple of months. But she couldn’t help but wonder how Will and Jack were doing over in Italy, she reprimanded herself whenever she thought this. 

Later that day, before Ryder was set to go home, Alana stopped her in the hallway and asked if she would help her with something at Mason Verger’s house. Ryder winced internally, she heard the story about how the eldest Verger and how he came to look—thanks to Hannibal—from Will. She also heard the stories that Alana told her about him. She really didn’t want to go but Alana asked and Ryder knew her professor couldn’t carry the really heavy things yet. She reluctantly agreed to the task and not soon after she got into Alana’s car and drove down to Mason Verger’s estate.

When they got there Dr. Bloom went to the trunk and directed which boxes Ryder should carry in. When Ryder had inquired what was in the boxes, Dr. Bloom smiled at her and said she would find out soon. Well, Ryder found out and she felt as if a cloud of heaviness was upon her. Alana somehow gotten ahold of objects belonging to Hannibal’s home and was presenting them to Mason while Ryder stood off to the side and watched with an unsettled feeling in her stomach. That cold, calculating part of her professor had come out and it made Ryder feel uneasy to face something she would rather forget. 

\---

Her professor slide a hand over a fine cloth that held extravagant utensils. “A table setting from the home of Dr. Hannibal Lecter” she begun as Ryder busied herself with a couple of papers she was holding, unintentionally getting the attention of Mason. 

Then she picked up a fork, “the silverware is 19-century Dutch and the table linen is damask cotton, both from Christofle. The Plate is Gien French china from Tiffany.” Alana set down the fork and felt the linen that was on the table, trailing a finger along the soft surface. 

Mason wheeled forward in his electric wheelchair. “Well, you’ve got to hand it to the man. He has the most marvelous taste” he said looking from the table to Ryder. In response, Ryder crossed her arms. 

“I’ve discovered a pattern of purchases. An echo of the life he lived in Baltimore” Alana smiled smugly. 

Mason eyed the silverware “he likes music, he likes wine, he likes food and he likes you. How do you taste, Dr. Bloom? Sweet, I bet.” He licked his lips and stared at Alana, he then turned to Ryder, giving her a suggestive wink. 

“I’m sure you got a taste of him, too, working with your lovely professor.” Then looked back to Dr. Bloom. “Spitters are quitters, and you don’t strike me as a quitter.” Ryder felt a shiver go up her spine and quietly excused herself, exiting the room to wait outside until Dr. Bloom was done. 

Ryder stood against the wall down from the room, waiting for the uneasiness to go. However, it seemed that while she stayed in the house, that unclean feeling seemed to follow wherever she went. She leaned her head back, staring at the wall opposite and admiring the wood casing that met the floor and the crackled paint. 

She heard her named being called and turned to see her professor poke her head out from the room and call for help to clean up. They both repacked the boxes, while Mason watched with half-interest. Alana stopped her actions when she saw Margot step into the room and fold her hands elegantly, waiting for the doctor to join her. Alana put a hand on Ryder’s arm before she put down the opalescent plate and excused herself. Ryder smiled to herself as she packaged up the plate Alana left, being mindful not to stuff the belongings back into the box. She figured that her professor was here because of this mysterious business with Hannibal Lecter, but now she knew that her professor had another reason to visit the creepy man. 

She was startled out of her thoughts when she noticed Mason wheeled closer to the table. “You see it too, don’t you Ms. Caeli.” 

“See what?” she asked innocently, wrapping a wine glass in a towel. 

“Them, together” he wheeled to point in their direction. 

“It’s none of my business” she moved on to wrap a couple of knifes. 

“It might not be, but it most definitely is mine” he paused, “how come you package Dr. Lecter’s belongings so carefully.” 

“I really didn’t notice. I mean they are glass” she shrugged her shoulders, trying to seem indifferent. 

“Did you have a relationship with the man? Or, rather, I should ask, do you see yourself in a relationship, because I’m telling you, no eye contact is a sign of social anxiety, low self- esteem or” he paused again “they’re hiding something.” Ryder glanced up from under her eyelashes and was met with a smug Mason. “I had a feeling Dr. Lecter wouldn’t have just left you all innocent and by yourself.” 

Her expression was one of disbelief as her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. Mason took in a breath “that’s right Ms. Caeli, I did my research.” 

She thanked God she had just packaged the last piece of silverware, she was probably red as a tomato. “I’m afraid to disappoint sir, but you shouldn’t believe everything you hear” Ryder uttered lowly and with that she picked up a box. 

She was walking out when he started talking again “but you would consider one with him. He’s different.” She could hear the chair come further, following her “but you were always the same old boring person looking for a thrill. Opposites attract and you and Dr. Lecter have many things in common, but enough to make you a perfect match.” 

She listened to his words, knowing full well that the man was completely out of his mind, but she maintained her cool exterior when she spoke. “You’re right, he is different” and continued walking to the exit of the house, box of Hannibal’s things in hand, where she would wait in the car for Dr. Bloom to appear. 

Mason raised his eyebrows at the girl who he had seen only a few times but never talked to. He didn’t need to, he had heard enough from Dr. Bloom and knew that Hannibal and Will knew her as well. He licked the inside of his cheek as he thought of the girls curt answers and guarded behavior. He smiled to himself, waving goodbye to the vary therapist who had lead him to whom he wanted, a plan forming in his mind.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody, I've returned with another chapter. I told you I'd be back right? Some of you probably didn't believe me, but alas, I have come through. I just wanted to say that I really appreciate the awesome comments and kudos that I get, they make me smile so hard and do a little happy dance when I get them. Thank you so much for supporting me, now on with the show!

In Italy…

Jack looked at the gun that lie on the table in front of him, silently thanking the mysterious women for putting it there as he worked at the bindings that held his wrists. Once he got the first hand free, he worked on the other and grabbed the gun. His hand flew to his pocket to pull out his cell phone, his mind scrambling to think of who else this situation could effect. 

He dialed Alana’s number first, but it went straight to voicemail so he frantically went through his contacts to get to Ryders number. He dialed it and exhaled when she picked up in two rings. “Hello” she spoke as Jack wasted no time in telling her that Mason was responsible for the bounty on Hannibal’s head in Italy and had Will kidnapped also. 

It sounded like she stopped walking because her breathing had labored and caught up. “There’s a bounty on him in Italy?” Her voice shook as she repeated Jack’s word to try to make sense of them. “And Will was taken too? Oh my God Jack, is Doctor Bloom in trouble?” 

Jack closed his eyes, trying to remain calm “I don’t know, I called but she didn’t pick up. You, Alana, anybody with relation to us three could be in trouble. I was just ordered to be killed, but I managed to survive.” 

“Jack, we just—” but her sentence was cut short as Jack heard feet hitting the ground, some grunts and then a man moan and utter obscenities. He closed his eyes, his heart sinking as he heard her mumbled screams and then quiet before the line went dead. 

\---

Ryder had been walking out of the department from a long day at the job when she was attacked from behind. She knew as soon as she heard Jack’s voice that something was wrong; her suspicions were confirmed when Jack told her the news that made the panic set in. She was going to tell him that both her and Alana saw Mason a few days ago but something hard hit her right in the middle of her back. She fell to her hands and knees, trying to restore the breath that been knocked out of her and did so quickly when she saw a few men approaching her. Her eyes darted to her phone on the concrete that flew out of her hand when she fell and felt a rush of urgency that could be explained as adrenaline. She took the biggest breath she could manage, turned on her heal and began running but it was no use. One of the men caught up easily and wrapped his large hands around her waist which made her kick and scream. She managed to get in a few good hits as she kicked another man in his nethers, sending him to the ground moaning and uttering obscenities. But the one holding her recovered from the punches he sustained and put an arm around her neck to limit her movement. 

Ryder felt a soft cloth clamp down over her mouth and nose. She tried to calm her gasps as to not breathe in whatever the guy was trying to smother her with, her mind reeling from the encounter. Minutes ticked by and she struggled against the surface; mumbled screams escaping from the cloth the man held over her nose and mouth and movements becoming clumsy. The last thing she saw was another man putting his foot directly over her phone and squishing it like a bug, then, darkness.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty guys, I got a new chapter for ya today. Hopefully you'll like it more than that cliffhanger I left you with last week. Please tell me whacha think, I always love hearing from you guys, it makes my day!

Ryder had been awake on and off within the few hours of her kidnapping. She’d known she was tied up, the rope was rubbing against her skin, but the other half was darkness and the vibrations of a car. Next thing she knew she was in a barn feeling groggy from the events. She picked her head up to observe her surroundings. What on earth was going on? She took in what was obvious: she was in the middle of a pig pen, strapped to a dolly and the man who she presumed concocted this plan came riding in—the bastard Mason Verger. 

It seemed like everything came into place as he wheeled in, talking to Hannibal and Will who followed behind. “It’s more trouble to move a semi-wild pig against its will than it is to kidnap a man” he smiled through his scarred face at Ryder, “or a women.” 

He wheeled up right next to her, as she looked at Hannibal next to her and Will who probably looked worse than she did. “There are the tusks to consider, if you want to maintain the integrity of your abdomen. Something worth maintaining, Ms. Caeli. From what I’ve heard, you gave my men a run for their money.” He cocked his head and she felt a finger caress her outer thigh that made her squirm. 

Mason then rolled up to Will, aiming the next part at him “as I was saying before, tusked beasts instinctively disembowel.” And finally, turned his head to Hannibal, smirking, “At swine fairs, I’ve seen exotic pigs from all over the world. You are the best of all that I’ve seen. We are going to have some good, funny times, Dr. Lecter.” Ryder tried to keep her panicked emotions at bay but she kept her gaze from meeting Hannibal, who stared at her since the moment he was wheeled in and Will, who refused to look at them both. 

Mason was giving orders to the men who sat on the sidelines, meanwhile Ryder’s eyes finally shot to Hannibal, who was looking at her from the corner of his eye, then to Will, who appeared to be sick to his stomach. She closed her eyes as they wheeled Hannibal, her and Will from the room. Her surroundings changed to a smaller room that was darkly lit; there she sat for a minute before she heard the door open. 

She watched as a women attendant entered the room she was stationed in. The women had a black garment bag with her and she unstrapped Ryder from the dolly. The woman warned her if Ryder tried anything, she would wake up missing something she would miss. What the hell? Ryder thought as the woman’s threat sunk in and repeated as she pulled at the zipper on the black garment bag that revealed a light blue dress inside. She wanted to elbow the woman in the face as she stripped Ryder naked and begun putting the light blue dress on. All the while, Ryder tried to cover herself as the woman zipped it up in the back. She wanted to cry out at how violated she felt but managed to clear her mind from any emotion that would feed Mason Verger. 

When the lady was done, Ryder looked down at herself as the women strapped her down to the dolly again and then wheeled her in front of a full length mirror. Ryder looked at her damaged face: split lip and cuts galore on her cheeks. As for the dress, it dipped low on her chest, revealing cleavage that made Ryder blush and angry because she was blushing. The rest of it was flowy and light weight. If she didn’t hate dresses before, she despised them now. 

She was the last one to be wheeled in to the dinning room. Hannibal sat at the other end of the table, across from Mason, while her and Will sat across from each other. Ryder eyed Hannibal, he was dressed impeccably, again, and looked ready for whatever was to transpire. Will looked the exact opposite with his pale skin and beat up face—she felt how Will looked. 

The conversation had halted as the woman wheeled her in and sat her down. Ryder felt all the men looking at her as she kept her head down the entire time, but risked a glance at Hannibal who was staring at her all along. 

He looked from her to the man across from him, feeling anger slowly start to rise even more as he tried giving the girl a small smile but she kept her head down like Will. He wanted the attention off of her. “There is an inescapable parallel between you and Jezebel, Mason. Keen Bible student that you are, you’ll recall dogs ate Jezebel’s face, along with the rest of her” Hannibal goaded which make Ryder look up again. 

“Well, if jezebel was right about the Risen Jesus…the riz would have provided her with a new face, as he has provided mine.” Mason raised and lowered his eyebrows in Will’s direction and continued. “A transplant surgery is extremely skillful, which is why Cordell here will be performing the face-off.” The man in particular was plump and pig-faced and gave Ryder the creeps. He looked at Will and then Ryder, inclined his head and said a hello. Ryder turned her head to Hannibal as to inquire what Mason meant, but his eyes were still on Mason. 

“Talk about the Bible, Dr. Lecter” Mason turned his attention to Ryder and paused looking at the doctor. “We have the Virgin Mary, in our midst. Sitting in her blue robes, looking the most part of a virgin” he made a noise, that made Ryder want to gag,

Mason looked between the two “and she will do her part in creating Christ for God’s good will.” 

“Most people believe The Virgin Mary wasn’t African-American” Ryder snapped but Mason moved his shoulders to shrug. “Maybe she was, maybe she wasn’t, if you want to get technical by referring to your own skin color Ms. Caeli. But, it won’t matter anyway since you’ll just be the vessel.” Ryder’s mouth dropped open at his words as sheer terror seemed to ravage her body. 

“The Virgin Mary did not choose that path for herself.” Hannibal offered, seeing Ryder’s reaction. 

Mason considered his statement but frowned, “but it was chosen for her by God, himself.” 

Mason looked proud and Ryder felt like she was going to throw up. She was a second away from having a panic attack. What did he mean by ‘creating Christ?’ She could venture a guess and just thinking about it made her want to scream and cry. 

She glanced to Hannibal who glanced at her and Will who looked up from his eyelashes. Just then Cordell came and served her plate and picked up the fork, trying to force feed her. She turned her head away, but he grabbed her chin and forced it into her mouth. In return, Ryder spit on his jacket. He looked down at it and then back handed her, leaving a sting in its wake. 

She had never been hit in her life and sure didn’t like the feeling at all. She slowly turned her head back to regard the pig. Cordell took a voluntary step back and then ran to the kitchen to serve more food. Ryder didn’t notice the predatory look Hannibal gave Cordell as the doctor’s eyes seemed to change color in rage. Mason’s eyes sparkled and his lips turned into a smirk but it disappeared when he cleared his throat to change the subject after the outburst. 

“You boys remind me of that German cannibal who advertised for a friend, and then ate him and his penis before he died.” Mason grinned and Hannibal raised an eyebrow at the odd subject.

“Tragedy being, the penis was overcooked. Go through all that trouble to eat a friend, and you overcook his penis. They ate it anyway. They had to, they committed. But they didn’t enjoy it. But I assure you, I’m committed to enjoying every bite of you.” 

Ryder scowled at Mason each time he annunciated the word ‘penis.’ While Mason reveled in her discomfort, she was relieved when Will asked a question that made her snort. “You’re going to eat him—” he pointed at Hannibal “—with my face?” to which Mason seemed pleased and affirmed Will’s question and added “I got a taste for it after you two had me eat my nose.” 

Mason turned to Ryder again, “I was drugged to high hell when the good ol’ doctor here had me cut off pieces of my face while Will’s dogs begged for the pieces that I cut off.” Ryder’s scowl deepened at the disgusting tale. “All the while Will stood and watched and when the doctor had enough of his fun, he broke my neck right in a spot that confines me to this chair.” Mason uttered bitterly. 

“I know what happened to you” Ryder rumbled as Mason over-exaggeratedly licked his lips causing Ryder to turn away from him.

“You must be terribly proud that you could bring this on. It’s dangerous to get exactly what you want, what will you do after you’ve eaten me?” Hannibal cocked his head to the side, baiting Mason. 

“You could wreck some foster homes and torment some children” Will suggested. 

“Oh, and drink martinis made with tears” Mason narrowed his eyes at the snarky comment. 

“But where, Mason, would the hardcore fun come from?” Hannibal goaded again. 

Mason tsked at his question “it’s foolish to dilute such ecstatic time as this with fears about the future.” Mason glanced over at Will, seemingly thinking something while he frowned. He turned his head towards Cordell and promptly told him to moisturize Will due to the fact that he looked ‘dry.’ Ryder screwed up her eyebrows at the statement but noticed the look in Will’s eyes. He’s going to do something. Just as she was thinking this, Will took a bite out of Cordell’s cheek and spit it out on the plate, Hannibal looked impressed. 

“Well, we’re gonna feed you to the pigs as soon as Cordell has removed your face in a much more civilized fashion than you just tried to remove his.” Mason thundered at Will as he rolled after Hannibal who was escorted to the pig pens. But before he left, Mason stopped and turned his chair to meet Ryder and Will’s attention, “I’ll see you two in a little while” he winked and left them at the table as it was cleared. And with that dinner was over.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know I've been gone for a really long time, my family was on vaciton and I'm really sorry to keep you guys waiting. However, I have another chapter that you guys will hopefully like. I might just upload another tomorrow if I have time. Anyways, thank you as usual for your reading, the comments and kudos, they make my day and I love hearing what you guys think so don't be shy!  
> P.S. This might be a little late to tell you but...I wanted to make this story so that it was still believeable (in the Hannibal sense) so there is some deviation to be expected from the original story line which was the surrogate is a pig. Another side note, believe it or not, there all kinds of symbolism and even more in the coming chapters so if you read something that's kinda outta place, that my friend is not me being really interested in the dress color, but rather trying to be more sneaky. Who knew fanfiction could get so deep???? haha okay I'll stop talking...Enjoy!!!

That night, Margo was putting Mason’s chair back together after he'd gotten dressed when he decided to harass her. She noticed him staring and asked him why. He leaned back, goading her that he found a surrogate. She looked pale at the mention of the particular subject and right as she was voicing for him to stop, he went on to tell her that “it wasn’t for his sperm, but for her eggs.”

Margo stilled herself and rolled her eyes, “I don’t have any, you took them. Don't you remember?” He was sent back to when he was able to take things away from his sister when she misbehaved. That was back when he was self-sufficient, well, more than he was now. The memories disappeared and he found his voice again, explaining that he kept them for a “new basket.” She turned around, stunned and sickened at the horrible news that he had a surrogate and remained true to his promise of wanting a Verger baby with her. She approached him, enraged and asked where the surrogate was. He smiled to himself and thought about her request but didn’t want the true identity of the surrogate to be ruined. Margo seemed to catch on as that smirk graced his ugly face but he threw her a bone and replied that she was there on the farm. Margo’s tears brimmed on the edge of her eyes and said she wanted to see her, but Mason urged that she prepare herself. Margo turned her head to collect herself once again, and when she did, she leaned over her disgusting brother to put the rest of his chair together and walked out saying he better be quick. In return, Mason smiled. 

\---

Will and Ryder sat facing each other, he looked sickly but asked if she was okay. She scoffed “I wouldn’t worry about me right now.”

He let out a humorless laugh, “I sincerely doubt that.” However they both became quiet at the thought of the oncoming events until they heard someone approach and walk in. Will looked towards the doorway and Ryder craned her neck to see Dr. Bloom in the doorway. The doctor looked stunned and horrified at Ryder’s appearance and approached her. 

“What are you doing here?” Will asked as the rest of the color on his face disappeared. 

“She’s Mason Verger’s psychiatrist.” Ryder's wearied voice answered for Alana. 

He looked back from Ryder to the doctor, “Is that part of his therapy or yours?” 

“I think we’re all working through some issues. Oh, and just to let you know Jack’s alive.” Alana was cold towards him. But she turned towards Ryder and put a hand on her arm, “Ryder are you okay?” Will mumbled something under his breath but the doctor ignored him. 

Ryder felt the warm hand on her own arm and shook her head, she felt betrayed and angry. “You helped Mason Verger find us?” 

Alana stared at Ryder, pain in her eyes, “I helped Mason find Hannibal.” She looked towards Will and directed the next part at him. “We followed Batard-Montrachet when we should have just followed you.” 

“Almost as ugly as what Mason wants to do to us is the fact that he can do it with the tacit agreement of people sworn to uphold the law.” Will quipped, his mouth forming a thin line.

“I was trying to get to Hannibal before you” she looked towards Ryder “and I never meant to get you involved.” 

“Are you sure about that Dr. Bloom?” Ryder sassed back but the doctor wasn’t done explaining her reasoning to Will. 

“I knew you couldn’t stop yourself from finding him, so I had to try.” 

Will scoffed. “by facilitating torture and death?” 

She considered his question, “I can abide the thought of Hannibal tortured, not necessarily to death. I’d say he has it coming, wouldn’t you” she ended by looking at Will and Ryder. 

Ryder’s voice shook as she tried to focus on a lighter spot on the wood table, “Dr. Bloom, I know what he did, and I can say his actions are horrible and inexcusable, but this is not an answer to it.” Some tears had escaped her eyes “he’s going to cut Will’s face off and wear it. He’s going to use me as a surrogate for the Verger baby.” Her voice wavered from emotion. 

Alana’s mouth fell open and Will gave Alana a hard expression, “You have to evolve, Alana. You have to spill blood either by your own hand or someone else’s.” Wordlessly, she got up and walked out of the room leaving the two to look at each other with heavy eyes.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAHHHH OKAY!!!! I'm exited for you guys to read this chapter and hear what you think. Just a note that there is uncomfortable subject matter for some in this chapter. Sorry I forgot to mention it a couple chapters back too, but hey, that's what you get when you join the Hannibal fandom! Enjoy my dears...

After Will’s compelling words, Alana walked to the pig pen area where she knew Hannibal was being held. She greeted the guard in Italian and shot him quickly, watching the body fall to the ground with a sickening ‘thud’. Hannibal heard the gunshot and could see movement from the corner of his eye through the pig pen he was held in. He could hear the familiar click of heals and scent that would belong to nonother then Alana Bloom. The strange feeling of hope formed in his stomach as he encouraged her to take the pocketknife the guard had. She did what he advised and walked over to the stall he was held in. Bending down to eye level with the doctor, she studied him for a minute before she spoke.

“I was trying to save Will from you. Turns out I was trying to save Ryder too since I got her involved in this mess. But right now, you’re the only one who can save them.” Hannibal struggled against his bindings, as Alana paused. “Promise me you’ll save them.” He looked up from beneath his lashes, the desperation in her voice was evident as she added in a ‘please.’ 

“I promise.” He verified as he gazed at her watering eyes. There was a pregnant pause again before he spoke again. “And I always keep my promises, Alana. Just cut the ropes on one arm, give me the knife and leave. I can do the rest” he assured. Alana was hesitant, but complied. But, not before leaning down one more time to look into his eyes. “Are you going to kill Mason?” 

He looked up at her, “Margo is” he said naturally. “Snatch some of my hair, back from the hairline, if you don’t mind. Get some skin, put it in Mason’s hand after he’s dead” Hannibal replied. Alana continued looking at him “could I have ever understood you?” there was a moment of silence. 

“No” was her answer as she pulled out his hair, put it in her pocket and cut his left hand free. 

\---

Will and Ryder were in reclining medical chairs, strapped down when Mason Verger was wheeled in by his pig helper, seemingly talking to Will. “Cordell told me if I waited long enough, he could grow me a new face from my own cells. But I was adamant that it was your face I wanted. I was looking at your face while you were watching me cut mine off, and I thought ‘oh, that’s a nice face.’” 

What in the— Ryder’s thinking was interrupted by Cordell who told Mason that he would be going under and would wake up feeling uncomfortable. Heaven forbid, Ryder mentally shook her head. Then the dimwit started talking again. “Have you accepted Jesus, Mr. Graham or what about you Ms. Caeli? Do you have faith? I do, I’m free—hallelujah!” Ryder exhaled in somewhat of a relief as she suspected that Mason had succumbed to the anesthetic. But it really wasn’t much of a consolation; the fear awoke again when Cordell went over to Will, inserting a needle. 

“This will immobilize your body, but you’ll feel everything.” Ryder could hear Will’s soft gasps, before Cordell looked to her seeing her shaking and red-rimmed eyes. “Don’t worry, Ms. Caeli. I’ll get to you, you’re next.” He returned his downward look at Will again, “I’m going to cut off your face without anesthesia, Mr. Graham. You’ll be sure to let me know if this hurts, won’t you?” he spoke softly as he began cutting into Will’s face. 

Ryder felt nauseated that she couldn’t do anything for her friend that was being carved up or that she was to be mutated in ways she didn’t think possible. She closed her eyes as tears flooded them, a few escaping and running down her face. When she opened them, she was in a state of disbelief, Hannibal stood behind Cordell with a hammer and held up a finger to his mouth hushing her. 

Her eyes remained large as a familiar memory resurfaced and watched Hannibal bash Cordell over the head with the hammer. In response, Cordell fell to the ground and let out a moan and a sickly ‘squish’ as Hannibal brought the hammer down again. He then stood up and walked over to her, admiring her in her blue dress. He looked from her body to her eyes, “hello again” he said darkly as Ryder tried to breathe deeply. She didn’t know whether to feel excited or frightened by the man who killed many, including her friend. Or be mutilated the pig who was to make her the reincarnate of the Virgin Mary. 

Hannibal saw the muscles in her neck flex and relax, showing signs of rapid breathing and anxiety. “Did they hurt you?” he asked as he undid the strap around her head and viewed her eyes, she shook her head, “no.” 

“Good.” He went to work on the strap around her chest and met her eyes “just try to breathe deeply. Remember what we practiced” he brought the strap away, being careful of her breasts, but Ryder didn’t notice. She was trying to breathe and even shut her eyes to concentrate before she felt a hand on her neck that slid down to the where it met her chest. She opened them to incarnadine colored orbs. 

“I’m not going to hurt you. I give you my word.” He gazed at her watering eyes.  
She felt his breath hitting her face and then she sensed him pull away, undoing the strap on her left hand. He walked away from her to view Will. “I trust you can do the rest” he said as he checked Will’s vitals. In turn, she worked at the straps, occasionally looking up at Hannibal, feeling and smelling the coppery stickiness of Cordell’s blood on her neck. 

Once she was free she hopped off the chair and steadied herself. “Is Will okay?” 

“He’s unconscious right now and will be for the next few hours due to the anesthesia.” Hannibal then walked away from Will’s side and returned to Cordell, bending down and picking his head up. “Take his feet, we’re going to put him on your chair.” She did as he said and they led him to the chair she had vacated. She looked wearily at Hannibal as he observed Cordell’s face, walked away and grabbed the scalpel Cordell had just used on Will. She observed Hannibal as he expertly began cutting Cordell’s face away. In the process, some blood had spurted onto her dress and Hannibal’s Face. 

He’d taken the whole damn thing off—in under 10 minutes—leaving the fat man a bloody mess in the chair. Ryder’s eyes widened in horror and admiration when he walked away with the face and put in on Mason’s and put the mask on top to make it stay. After, he sat Mason upright and turned to regard her saucer-like eyes. “Margo Verger has a problem to be taken care of.” He turned back to Mason and opened up the onesie, exposing his chest and then his nether region which made Ryder grimace. 

“Might I ask what you’re doing, if I may be so forward?” she said as her head was turned away. She saw Hannibal from the corner of her eye grab a metal rod of some kind and head towards her. When he reached her, he took her chin and turned her face towards his. 

“Margo wants a baby, an heir. I’m going to give it to her” he said as he released her chin and walked towards Mason again. Margo had her Uterus taken away, thanks to her brother so that meant— 

Ryder’s thoughts were answered as Hannibal turned the metal rod on, grabbed a test tube and with holding the metal rod to Mason’s genitals, the man ejaculated into the test tube. Ryder watched as Hannibal corked the tube and wiped it, leaving the scent of burned skin and hair in the air. To her dismay, Ryder started laughing at the oddness of the situation which made Hannibal turn around and look questioningly at her. She waved him off as her laughter subsided, she blamed the inappropriate response on shock. 

Hannibal smirked at her as he looked from her to Mason. He buttoned the man back up and turned around to face her when she approached. “Will you take this to Alana?” he asked as he handed her the tube of semen. Ryder raised the tube to her eyes examining it, “Yes, but where is she?” For her answer, Hannibal wheeled Mason outside as he motioned for her to follow him through the courtyard. 

Once they got indoors again, Hannibal and Ryder went down a hallway. Hannibal stopped to wheel Mason into his room. She peaked in, but went down the hallway more to find Alana and a tear stained Margo coming out of a nearby room. Alana saw her as she shut the door and hobbled her way over to Ryder, they met face to face and Alana hugged her as Ryder stood still. 

“I never meant to put Will in any danger” she pulled away looking at Ryder “and I most definitely didn’t want any of this for you. If I had known that my actions had these type of consequences—” she trailed off, shaking her head as her eyes became glassy. 

Ryder shook her head, the anger had dissapated but was not gone in lieu of recent events, but now was not the time to lash out. Instead, Ryder, grabbed Alana’s hand and squeezed. But then, Ryder dropped Alana’s hand to grab Margo’s, putting the test tube in the middle of her palm and curled her hand in on it. “Hannibal wanted you to have something” Ryder offered as she started backing up. 

“I would have tried harder to stop it.” Margo uttered, looking up from her hand to the girl and the man behind her. Ryder felt someone at her back as she turned around to meet Hannibal

He gave Margo a nod and turned his stare to Alana. “Remember” is all he said before he grabbed Ryder’s hand and walked back to the labs to escape. When they got back, they both grabbed an arm of Will’s and supported him as they trudged through the snow. Ryder could feel the chill as she controlled her breathing while aiding her friend. The cold seeped into every last crevice of her body making her bones lock up, but yet she prevailed. 

As they got further away from the mansion, she heard gun shots whiz past and resounding ‘thuds’ as two bodies hit the snow. Hannibal nodded up at the tree that was in front of them as a women descended from it. After that, they walked into the darkness of the night en route to Will’s home. Ryder had decided not to ask any questions, besides it had been a long night.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so please don't be mad at me, college has been extra crazy these past three weeks and I totally forgot that I left you guys hanging! This chapter might make some of you really happy or really irritated with me, but just trust me, there is more to come after this that won't revolve around cliche romantic plots. Regardless, please tell me what you think and enjoy!

When they got to Will’s home, they laid him down on his bed. Ryder watched Will’s face as Hannibal checked his vitals and disappeared leaving Ryder’s eyes to revert back to the sleeping man. She could feel the start of the warmth from the house reach her toes and travel upwards finally finishing at her fingertips. She bent over to brush the hair from his face, her fingers feeling his still cold skin and touched the cuts where Cordell pierced his face. Ryder could feel the coldness return as if she were back outside in the snow at the sight and jagged feel of the markings. With a huff, Ryder stood up again right when Hannibal returned with a shirt that he dressed Will in and then pulled the covers over him. Ryder turned her attention from Hannibal’s gentle actions to consider the women who followed them into the house carrying a large sniper rifle. Ryder nodding in her direction as she sat in a chair close by, the women inclined her head in return and walked out of the house. But Ryder never saw her leave as her eyes begun to close from sheer exhaustion. 

\---

It was light out when she awoke to find Hannibal sitting in the chair she had recently occupied and was now on the couch with a blanket over her. Hannibal looked up from his book and gave her a tired smile. “Good morning, Ms. Caeli.” 

“Morning” she sat upright, pulling the blanket over her form—she was still wearing the blood stained, blue dress. Hannibal noticed her discomfort, “I brought you some of Will’s extra cloths, since you are without your own. He won’t miss them.” 

Ryder raised an eyebrow “thanks” she answered back and looked over her shoulder at Will. “He’s still out?” Hannibal nodded his head as Ryder exhaled. 

“Where’s your friend?” she asked curiously, looking around for the noticeably absent woman. 

“She left a while ago.” Hannibal answered easily, Ryder decided not to push. She pulled the blanket closer to her form as Hannibal studied her. “What?” she asked. He leaned forward, “I was thinking about how you just helped carry a man through the snow in an evening gown despite having asthma and being poisoned not too long ago” he answered back. 

She scoffed, “when you put it like that, you make me out like a superhero.” He smiled. “No, not a superhero, but stronger than you thought you could be.” She looked up from her hands at the man and gave him a genuine smile. 

With a sigh, she picked up the ends of the destroyed dress. “Well, despite Mason’s thoughts, Blue isn’t my color.” She shook her head looking down at the now frayed edges, trying to diffuse the tension that arose in her from the current event. 

Hannibal held his face with his one hand, looking over the mess of a dress before he spoke. “Mason was going to mutilate you, take out your uterus like his sister, and replace yours with hers that he saved. Would you have been a virgin and left in the situation you were in a little while ago, you would have given birth to his heir much like the ‘Virgin Mary’ did with Christ.”

Ryder swallowed the lump in her throat, “I got the general idea at the dinner table.” She paused, touching one particularly dark blood stain. “You give me too much credit” she hinted as Hannibal cocked his head in curiosity, “How do you mean?” 

Ryder continued looked down at her fingers playing with the dried, bloody fabric. “It seems being a virgin isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.” This made Hannibal chuckle. “I thinks it’s most impressive, to be honest” Hannibal said. 

Ryder got up and took the cloths that belonged to Will, “well thank you, it’s not every day you have a casual conversation about your sex life with a psychiatrist.” Hannibal lips turned up as he got up from the chair to approach her. 

“Psychiatrist” he tested the word out, like it was foreign. “That is true. But yet, you know my past actions and possible future ones. Still, you do not run.” She set the clothes down, looking him in the eye, “to tell you the truth doctor, there’s the sensible part that tells me to stay a mile away. Yet, the other says that I can’t. You’re too interesting and I do understand Will in that aspect.” She paused wincing “I know it’s incredibly cliché to say, but I don’t know what to think anymore. I’m tired of thinking.” 

He cornered her against the couch, making her put both hands on the back to steady herself. He reached up then and put a hand on her neck, his fingers tracing the intricate parts of her skin before they moved up to the bruise forming on her cheek. “You were lying” he said after a moment. 

She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion when he clarified, “Cordell did hurt you.” She put her hand over his on her cheek. “They hurt you too” she said looking at the cuts on his face. He took a step closer, their bodies touching and rested his forehead on hers. “In ways you cannot imagine.” His other hand coming to lay on her waist. She looked down at his hand and tried to process what he just said; it felt like all the air between them was gone. 

Her thoughts must have shown on her face because Hannibal chuckled as his lips came closer to hers. “Is this your first?” he murmured, she looked him dead in the eye, a feeling of opia coming over her as she nodded. He leaned in a little closer and finally their lips touched. Ryder closed her eyes as she let him guide her.

Her hand came up to grip his shirt, as he deepened the kiss by pulling her more closely to him. After a minute he pulled away, giving her time to breathe. He looking at her as she opening her eyes and rested his hand on the base of her neck, whispering for her to breathe. She let out an airy laugh “you’re making it very hard to.” Hannibal let out a husky chuckle as his lips connected with hers again, feeling her heart flutter under his fingers. 

Ryder felt like she was floating on air, like everything else didn’t exist. For that exact reason, reality began itching its way into her head as she regretfully pulled away. With her eyes closed, she whispered his named and he opened his to examine her. She pursed her lips and opened her eyes to see him staring at her. He pulled her to him again as she put her arms around his neck, hugging him. She could feel him rubbing her back and running his hands through her hair. In his arms, she was comfortable, where she wished she could stay, but they both knew she couldn’t. 

She was the first to pull away, but still remained in contact. Hannibal’s hand returned to her cheek and stroked it gently, bringing her forehead to his lips as he kissed it. His hand then left her cheek and grabbed the clothes next to her and put them into her arms, pushing her away from him towards the bathroom—A silent goodbye. 

\---

Before she exited the bathroom, she dressed and looked at herself in the mirror assessing her appearance since she hadn’t the time or care to really worry about it until now. She had a bruise on her cheek, along with a few cuts and bruises on her body—nothing major. She exhaled, relieved that the physical injuries weren’t as bad as the emotional ones, dressed quickly and left the steamed bathroom. 

The kiss replayed in her head, making her touch her lips as she walking into the living room to find Will sitting upright on his bed—and alone. She looked around, knowing that Hannibal had left. “You okay?” she asked as Will looked up and managed a smile, “I will be.” He continued looking at her. “Are those my clothes?” he asked, his smile becoming genuine as they both laughed. 

She held up the dress she had on previously to show Will. “Sorry, I didn’t have anything else to change into.” He was still smiling when he got up, “well, you can keep them. I won’t be needing them back” he passed her and went into the kitchen. “Are you sure?” she inquired, her response was a soft smile and a nod. 

“Is fish okay?” he asked, pulling out a frying pan. 

“What time is it?” she noticed that it had gotten dark out and checked the clock in Will’s kitchen, it was nearly 4:30. “Wow, I lost track of time” Ryder reflected as Will scoffed “so did I.” 

She watched him prepare dinner, unpleasant thoughts bombarding her. “Jack will be here soon” she said aloud. Will jerked his head and put the fish on two plates, “I know” and with that they grabbed forks and ate in comfortable silence.

When Ryder and Will were cleaning up, they saw the red and blue flashing lights coming close to the house. They exchanged dubious looks as Will grabbed a coat for Ryder and himself, he then opened the door for them to step out of and greet the man. It was snowing when they came out of the house to see Jack hobbling towards them with a cane, Ryder looked behind her to see two men go into the house to check it out. 

“He’s gone, Jack” Will spoke curtly not even having to turn around to see them men enter his house. Meanwhile Jack admired the snow, choosing to ignore Will’s comment and the glare from Ryder. However, they all turned around as they heard Jack’s name being called from the shadows of the night. All of a sudden, Hannibal stepped out of the dark shadows of the house and spoke. “I’m here” he had his hands up in the air in surrender. 

Jack looked smugly at Hannibal as the psychiatrist knelt down on the ground, “you finally caught the Chesapeake Ripper, Jack.” 

Jack narrowed his eyes, “I didn’t catch you. You surrendered.” 

Hannibal looked up at him “I want you to know exactly where I am, and where you can always find me” he looked towards Ryder and Will standing on the deck. Will turned and went back in his house as Ryder looked after him. 

“Cuff him, put him in my car” Jack’s voice boomed. He turned to walk away but stopped to look at Ryder “are you coming?” he asked her in an irritated tone. She walked off the deck and they both got in the car. She slid in and shut the door, starring at Jack as he started the car. He could feel her eyes drilling on him when he turned his attention to her finally. 

“Don’t patronize me Jack, it’s been a very long two days” she said, a tiredness in her voice. Disbelief, that’s how Ryder would describe how Jack looked at her as she ignored him and leaned against the window. He said nothing back and put the car in reverse when she heard Hannibal speak. “She’s not wrong you know.” 

Jack stopped the car and in a lightening quick reaction, turned his body to face Hannibal. “Shut up.” Jack thundered as he put the car into drive, his eyes returning to the road. Ryder hid her smirk, from the two men, however the journey back was silent as the grave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was that good? Yes? No?


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know that I've been gone for a little while but I really hope you guys like this one. I gotta say that this is one of my favorite chapters because it's fun to see two different sides of the coin. It also might be because I like it when angst happens...so beware of angst and time skips! Happy reading!

3 years later…

In the three years since the arrest of Hannibal Lecter, Ryder got her master’s degree and was well on her way to a Ph.D. in Pathological psychology; of course, she was still working under the instruction of Alana Bloom. It was a hard the first year. Hannibal barley talked and constantly sketched. She only went to see him when Alana wanted her to go with her, other than that she stayed away and focused on her education. But the two years after, everyone seemed to move on in their lives. 

Alana and Margo had a baby, thanks to Hannibal Lecter and that fateful night Ryder's life could have been different. Jack continued working for the FBI and Will met Molly, got married and moved far away from his past life—Ryder couldn’t blame him. As for Dr. Chilton, he had written his book on Hannibal even though Ryder advised him on numerous occasions; obviously, it was only a matter of time before Hannibal would refute the claims Dr. Chilton had made in the book. Predictably, he was the person to visit Hannibal the most often. 

It stayed that way until another killer named ‘the Tooth Fairy’ had captured the attention of her old team, one thing lead to another and she was pulled into the investigation once again. It started when Jack had stepped into her small office and told her that he wanted her to come down to the labs. Faint memories of the olden days returned with those vary words. When she rolled her eyes, he added that he had a surprise waiting for her. This peaked Ryder’s interest so she told him she’d be a minute. 

When she walked down the hallway, she saw a figure standing outside the lab, the familiar flop of hair becoming prevalent as she approached. She smiled sadly at Will Graham’s appearance; he looked like he was in better health than last time, but she was sure that would change in a matter of time. She could guess the reason he was there. It was because of Jack, and even though they did need Will, it wasn’t fair to pull him back into what he tried so desperately to get away from. 

She pulled herself out of her thoughts and hugged him. “Good to see you back, wish it was on better terms” she said sympathetically as she pulled away. 

He smiled sheepishly, “you and me both” he brushed the bad thoughts away and actually smiled at her. “I hear your going for your Ph.D.” 

“Yes, with the help of Alana. Other than that, it’s been quiet, that is, until this ‘Tooth Fairy’ showed up.” Ryder shook her head and opened the door to the lab for him to step through. He said a soft ‘thanks’ and came into a room with Jimmy (who was now a ‘special agent') and Brian. The men told them that they had found fingerprints on eye of the recently murdered wife and smashed mirror pieces from the newest murdered family home—the Leeds. Meanwhile, Ryder felt a tinge of despair; everybody was happy to see Will back, Jimmy and Brian especially, but Will wasn’t. 

Afterwards, Will had gone into Jack’s office to talk to him while Ryder conversed with Jimmy and Brian. She saw them sporadically throughout the 3 years and missed listening to them banter back and forth. She laughed as they told her something else that launching into another playful argument, and decided to head back after she had said quick ‘goodbye’ to the boys. 

As she was sorting through her never ending paperwork, Alana peaked her head in to ask if Ryder had seen Will. Ryder explained that she saw him with Jack and Alana nodded her head. “If you see him again today, tell him to swing by my office after 1. I would go try to find him but I have a meeting scheduled” she said regretfully. 

“I definitely will” Ryder assured as Alana said a quick ‘thanks’ and walked towards her office. 

About 10 minutes after that, Jack came in and told Ryder that he wanted her to keep Will and Dr. Lecter company during their meeting. She gave him a suspicious look but Jack beat her to it. “Look, it’s not that I don’t trust Will.” Ryder only rolled her eyes. 

“Alright, I don’t trust either of them to be around each other. Will has already shown what Hannibal can do to him and I am aware of what I have asked him. So that’s why I’m asking you to just be the buffer in this situation. I know you and you have been around the both of them to know how they act.” He paused to see her wringing a pen in her hands nervously, “I have permitted Will to give Hannibal the file on the case so it’s okay.” 

Ryder looked to her hands at the beat-up pen. He knew this was a bad idea, but yet he was still doing it. She almost wanted to laugh at how desperate Jack was and how easily fooled he was. He thought that she was the safe one in this situation, but really, none of them should be around each other. “Alright” she complied “is this happening right now?” She rose from her desk. Jack nodded his head, “Will’s waiting for you. Be careful.” She walked around him to the door, waiting for him to go out so she could shut it. “Always am” she bit out as she descended the stairs to take Will to Hannibal. 

When she met Will, the pair walked down the dark corridor, she mentioned that after the meeting, Alana wanted to see him. He smiled asking how she was. “I’m not sure, you’d have to ask her. But, judging that she’s got the keys to the kingdom, I’d say pretty well.” Will smiled in good humor, but it faded when they stood in front of the doors. Ryder had to keep herself from hesitating, but eventually opened the doors to see the man of the hour with his back turned. 

She followed Will in, giving him a reassuring smile when he gave her a sidelong glance. Hannibal stopped his movements as he sniffed the air. “That’s the same atrocious aftershave you wore in court” he paused “and of course Lilac” he turned around to face them. 

“Hello, Dr. Lecter” Will greeted coldly. 

“Hello, Will” he glanced at Ryder “Ryder” he said cordially as she nodded her head in acknowledgement. Ryder already wanted to bolt from the room, but she willed herself to stand still. 

He turned his attention back to Will “did you get my note?” 

“I got it. Thank you” Will affirmed. 

“Did you read it before you destroyed it? Or did you simply toss it into the nearest fire?” 

“I read it. And then I burned it.” Will replied indifferently. 

Hannibal turned his head “and you came anyway” he stepped towards the glass. “I’m glad you came. My other callers are all professional, banal psychiatrists and grasping second-raters—pencil lickers.” 

Ryder kept her head down, busying herself with something besides the comment. They both knew who Hannibal was talking about, but thankfully Will changed the subject. “I want you to help me, Dr. Lecter.” 

Hannibal tilted his head, “yes I thought so” he regarded Will. “Are we no longer on a first-name basis?” 

“I’m more comfortable the less personal we are” Will returned. 

Ryder raised her eyebrows, surprised that Jack was right for once. Then tension in the air could be cut with a knife. 

It stayed quiet for a moment and Ryder could tell Hannibal was sniffing the air. “I smell dogs and pine and oil beneath that shaving lotion. It’s something a child would select, isn’t it? Is there a child in your life, Will? I gave you a child, if you recall” Hannibal goaded. 

Will ignored the question all together and changed the subject again. “I came about Chicago and Buffalo. You’ve read about it.” 

“I’ve read the papers. I can’t clip them. They won’t let me have scissors, of course” he directed his gaze at Ryder but continued, “You want to know how he’s choosing them.” 

Will sniffed, “thought you would have some ideas.” 

A half smile came to Hannibal’s face “you just came here to look at me. Came to get the old scent again. Why don’t you just smell yourself?” Ryder rubbed her eyes at Hannibal’s foul mood.

Will shifted his feat, “I expected more of you, doctor. That routine is old hat.” 

Will turned to go but was stopped by Hannibal’s words. “Whereas you are a new man. Are you a good father, Will?” Hannibal challenged, but his voice became softer. “Let me have the file. An hour, and we can discuss it like old times.” 

Will barley nodded, “thank you” he said and walked over to the metal box; Hannibal following on the other side of the glass. As Will put the file into the box, Hannibal spoke “family values may have declined over the last century, but we still help our families when we can.” He looked from Will to Ryder, who was watching them. He turned his attention back, “you’re family, Will.” Will frowned at the statement and turned his back to walk out, but not before patting Ryder on the shoulder before leaving. 

Ryder was left standing in the same spot. The reassuring pat on the shoulder from Will was supposed to make her feel better, but instead it put an even bigger pit in her stomach. She ignored the man on the other side of the glass as he was ignoring her and made for the door like Will. She froze right as her hand came to the doorknob, his voice reverberating through her body. “Unlike you, Ms. Caeli, I cannot say the same for being included in that family.” He smirked at her back before opening the file and looking through it. 

Ryder closed her eyes, trying to remain calm. But whatever bottled-up anger that she held, seemed to bleed through in the time she’d been avoiding him. She turned around and scoffed. “Oh yes, I forgot that I was ‘second rate’. A ‘pencil licker’ according to you” she crossed her arms. 

He continued paging through the file as she stood incredulous. “I let you go free after that night. Didn’t try to look for you after Jack and Will went to Italy to find you. Helped you carry Will out of that hellhole and went when you pushed me away” she bit out. 

Hannibal sighed irritably, “you had a debt to be paid, that is why you let me go and as far as I’m concerned, you still are in that debt. After that night, it was you who pushed me away. You went on with your life—furthered your own well-being to be where you are. And now, you’re an up and coming doctor at the state hospital. Looking at patients like you do zoo animals.” 

She laughed bitterly, noting that he refused to acknowledge the last part of her statement and what memories it held. “Yes, that’s right, I observe you in this cage, think you a monster along with everyone else and see patients as zoo animals rather than what they are—people.” She said sarcastically, she was enraged. “That’s right. That sounds just like me. I had no part in persuading Chilton not to write a book of lies about you nor did I have any part of thinking about how much you like your drawings and vouching that you have them” she paused as she was becoming heated. She took a few breaths in to once again calm her anger. After a minute she spoke again, but she made sure to keep her voice even. “I have made mistakes Dr. Lecter. After all, we are only human. But I bet if I cut you open, you would bleed red, just. like. me.” She clipped every word. 

The room fell silent and Hannibal was still looking down at the file, but she knew he heard every word she said. She closed her eyes when she spoke next. “It’s not a matter of being a part of your family, Hannibal. It’s a matter of I have done what I can for you and you still resent me for trying to go on with my life.” And with that, she turning her back and exiting the room. She did not notice that Hannibal had looked up from the file, considering her words as he thought of Abigail Hobbs.


	32. Chapter 32

The next morning when Ryder arrived for work, she encountered Will who asked if she would go with him to the Brooklyn Museum. Will explained that it was to investigate a piece of art that seemed to have a connection to the Tooth Fairy—or the Great Red Dragon they were calling him now. When she asked why she of all people, would be best, Will said maybe she could provide some extra information since she had a fondness towards art. She grinned and agreed to go after Will had taken care a few things. She saw him heading down the stairs where Hannibal was kept, but walked towards her office to wait until he was ready to leave. Memories of yesterday’s interaction with the man came rushing back as she angrily slammed the drawer of her desk closed.  
\---  
After they arrived at the museum, the person who would show them the painting had commented that they were the second ones to ask to see the piece. Ryder gave a suspicious look to Will who returned it, but they kept walking behind the man to the second floor. As they stepped out of the elevator, the man called out for his partner. Ryder’s stomach knotted in worry when the man called her name again. 

Meanwhile, Will saw somebody out the corner of his eye step onto the elevator behind them. He touched Ryder’s arm to let her know but Ryder reached for his arm to hold him back. Will quickly held up his hand to warn her to stay where she was. As quietly as he could manage, Will stepped forward to the open elevator and saw a shoe—and then a man. There was a still moment and then the man in the elevator grabbed Will, slammed him against the back of it and threw him out. Ryder had watched, shock over took her body and in split second changed to adrenaline as she sprinted towards the man trying to close the elevator doors. When she attempted to keep the doors open, he grabbed her hand and brought it forcefully against the doors nearby where a jagged metal piece stuck out. 

They both seemed to notice it at the same time and that’s when Ryder struggled even harder against him to bring her hand back to her body. She hit him repeatedly in places that should’ve hurt with her remaining hand but he had overpowered her. In one swift action, he picked up her resist hand and forced it onto the pointed metal piece that brought a blossom of pain and gasp from Ryder. She could feel him loosen the hold of her hand and then dropped it altogether when he knew she couldn’t fight back. Ryder managed to pull her hand from the painful metal, but not before she was pushed to the ground by the man as he shut the doors. The odd sensation of familiarity washed over her when she caught the man’s eyes before he shut the doors; they were animalistic, almost like his. 

Ryder was shaken from her thoughts when she registered Will crouching next her to see if she was okay. She cradled her painful, bleeding hand, but shooed him away, telling him to follow the Dragon. He obeyed and stood quickly to run down the stairs to catch him. Will ended up on the lower level, but there was no sign of the Dragon, only a slightly confused Will.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm back and I got another chapter. Sorry it's been so long, college has been so busy with Thanksgiving coming up but I promise that I will finish this story for you guys! So, in honor of Thanksgiving, I would like to thank all you guys for waiting to read the next part of the story. I can't tell you how much it means for me to have you guys like this story since it took so long for me to post it. Hope you like the chapter, happy reading!!!!

After their run-in with the Dragon at the art museum, Will called Jack to tell him what happened. There was a stunned silence, then Jack asked if he and Ryder were okay. Will explained to him that he was checked and was okay but Ryder was being looked at for the full extent of her injuries and would be back a little while. In the meantime Jack said he would call people to try to get information on evidence. 

Will ended the phone call and looked towards where Ryder was by the ambulance. He blew out breath and started walking toward her. She could see him out of the side of her peripheral vision and started fidgeting with the inhaler she pulled out of pocket. She knew he called Jack while she was being checked out. She rubbed her temples at how much trouble this would all be when they got back. She opened her eyes as she heard Will’s loud footsteps stop in front of her. 

“So what’s the verdict?” 

“Some cuts and bruises. They had to stitch me up for the cut on my hand. Good thing for the Tetanus vaccination right?” she said holding up her left hand to show Will as she put her inhaler in her pocket. “You good?” she asked in return. 

“Yeah, Jack wants us back to know specifics.” After Will said that, he gave her another glance before he turned around. He missed the sigh Ryder let out before she started following after him to drive back to the department. 

They went straight to Jack’s office when they arrived and found Dr. Bloom waiting with Jack. “So tell me what happened” Jack started, folding his hands. 

“He ate a painting” Ryder huffed out, answered for Will. 

“He ate it? The one you were supposed to check out?” Jack questioned as he looked from Will to Ryder in disbelief. 

“Ate it up” she repeated at the same time Will joined in. “The Art Squad in New York snapped to it when they found out what he ate too.” 

“They pulled two partial prints from the plastic pass he used, no ID but it’s still the same thumb that was on Mrs. Leeds’ eye” Jack explained. 

Alana craned her neck to look behind her at Will and Ryder “what about the docent at the museum?” 

“Oh, he had a sweet touch with her. She had to have four stitches, mild concussion, but he didn’t kill her” Will answered. 

“Why?” Alana asked and the question was furthered by Jack “He’d have been better off killing her and both of you.” 

Alana looked up at Will and Ryder, “maybe he’s trying to stop.” Ryder’s eyebrows skewered at Alana’s words. “You honestly believe that?” 

Jack ignored Ryder’s comment and pressed on Alana’s idea. “You think there’s a way to push him to being self-destructive?”

“You mean push him towards suicide? That sounds a little far-fetched.” Ryder questioned again as Jack answered her that suicide suited the Dragon just fine. 

Will shook his head “I agree with Ryder, if he was really trying to stop, he’s not going to kill himself” he sighed, “how could he be sure his death would affect whatever’s inside him?” 

Jack tilted his head “you must know something about him, otherwise you wouldn’t have found him.” 

Will took two steps towards Jack who was seated at his desk. “Jack Crawford, fisher of men, watching my cork move against the current. You got me, again.” Will seemed to pause to gather his thoughts, “Hannibal told me where to find him, he knows.” Jack slowly nodded his head at the information. Ryder looked between them, realization dawning on her that Will had known where to go by talking to Hannibal. She was waiting for the eventual chastising by Jack. But now, she was more perturbed by the fact that Will asked her to go when he knew there would be a chance the Great Red Dragon would be there. 

Jack must have thought the same thing. “So let me get this straight, you knew where to go because Hannibal told you, but you still brought her? You just put one of my doctors in danger Will, you’re both lucky that she only needed stitches.” Jack pointed at Ryder who felt a little hurt by Will’s actions. “I understand that I brought you into this investigation and I know that I’m asking a lot of you, but she is not leverage, do not do that again.” 

Will looked up from his eyelashes at the scolding to find Ryder crossing her arms. “I didn’t mean to put her in danger. Ryder has demonstrated again and again that she can handle the hell this job brings.” He turned to her, “I was being serious, I thought you could provide more information on the art piece, but I didn’t fully comprehend the danger I would put you in.” 

Jack narrowed his eyes causing Alana raise an eyebrow at the confession. Ryder pursed her lips at the apology. She didn’t think it was intentional that Will brought her along to get hurt, but things seemed to happen that way no matter whom she was helping with in an investigation. 

Will put his hands in his pockets, wanting to get away from the sore subject. Jack felt the same when he inquired what Hannibal knew, Will replied that Hannibal knows who the Dragon is and probably treated him in therapy. 

It became quiet again as the four of them thought of where they would go from there. However, as the three contemplated where to go from there, Ryder continued to feel uneasy that Will had walked her into a situation that could have killed both of them. She knew he was smarter than that, but Hannibal knew how to sell something, and Will was an addict that was hooked on the drug again. 

\---

Hannibal had a caller, excellent he thought as he picked up the phone. He knew. Hannibal always knew who he was talking to, he made it his job. This time, he knew it was the the man known as the Great Red Dragon. It was as if they were back in his office again, like he was in control. 

The man Hannibal recognized as Francis spoke darkly, “—the dragon has never spoken to me before, it was frightening.” 

“What did it say?” Hannibal inquired. 

“It called my name, it wants her.” Hannibal thought about Reba, the girl the Dragon was involved with, and decided that Francis was better because of it. “If it weren’t for the power of your becoming, if it weren’t for the Dragon, you, could never have had her.” 

It was hushed on the other end, almost as if Francis was acting out what he was going to say next, “I put my hand on her beating heart. Heard the sound of her living voice. A living women—how bizarre.” 

Hannibal listened intently, the words of the Dragon conjured up memories of her beating heart beneath his hand. Oh, how he could have crushed it so many times, but he let it keep beating instead. Unlike Francis, he didn’t think Ryder bizarre, but rather appreciated the beauty of having life within the middle of the palm. 

“I don’t want to give her to the Dragon” the man’s voice wavered. 

“The Dragon is in your belly now. You can choose to have her alive. You don’t have to worry about feeling love for her. You can always toss the dragon to someone else.” He hinted, as he thought about how Francis’ situation was much like his own, however Hannibal had tamed the dragon within him. 

Francis paused, “Will Graham and his friend interest me” he breathed heavily. This caught Hannibal’s attention as he could guess as to whom Will brought to the art museum. But Hannibal continued to listen to the man on the other side. “I saw them at the art museum. He’s odd-looking for an investigator, not very handsome but purposeful. As for the girl, she’s appealing, she could be an asset.” 

Hannibal took in Francis’ words very carefully, planning out his next words. “He has a family. She does not.” Francis gave a dreamy sigh at the words. 

“Save yourself. Kill his, kill them all. His address is 5543298 Checker road” and the line went dead.

\--- 

Ryder was called by Jack to come with him to see Will’s family as they were targeted by the Great Red Dragon. She almost dropped her phone in disbelief at the news. Just the day before, Will talked to Hannibal about who the next family was—now they had their answer. 

Ryder was in her thoughts as herself and Jack sat with Will’s son in the waiting room of the hospital, lingering until he arrived. Hannibal knew, he knew when Will asked him who the next family was. If his family was targeted, wasn’t she or her family hurt?

She went over the puzzling thoughts in her head before she saw Will enter the room. He was in a flurry and Ryder couldn’t imagine what else could go wrong in his life. 

She and Jack both got up to give Will and his step-son space. She watched as Will talked with him and felt a stab of pain when the boy stood up abruptly from the couch and went to watch T.V. She stepped away from the window and went to go get a drink. When she came back, Will and Jack were done talking and offered to lead Will to his wife’s room. 

As she stopped in front of the glass doors, she held up a hand offering Will to go in first, following him in. Ryder looked at the woman in the bed. The woman was beaten and bruised and currently sleeping. This is how it must have felt she thought as she grabbed Wills shoulder and squeezed it, thinking of when she was the one on the hospital bed. Ryder then walked out of the room to leave Will with his wife, noting the sorrow on the man’s face.


	34. Chapter 34

It had been quiet on Ryder’s part for a day and a half. Nobody came to see her, to talk to her or ask her to follow them into the different depths of hell each new part of the investigation brought—it was nice. She was left alone, in her world of paperwork and emails until she got wind that Alana and Jack tried to get Hannibal to participate in a conversation with the Dragon so they could pinpoint his location. I’m sure that worked great, she thought sarcastically. Well, the quiet was nice while it lasted. 

No sooner was she standing on the other side of the glass, watching the orderly’s take Hannibal’s stuff from his quaint cell as he was tied up. Alana was speaking to him. “You’re not the only one who keeps their promises, Hannibal” he turned his head towards Alana. “The toilet too” she spoke authoritatively as Hannibal stared straight at Ryder through the glass, daring her to speak up. But what bothered Ryder more was the cryptic comment Alana had made to Hannibal. 

When they finished, they unwrapped him from his bindings, while Ryder leaned against the wall, in the dark, waiting for everyone to file out. She listened for the tell-tale thud of the door after the last person filed out and walked up to the glass, careful to keep a safe distance. Ryder crossed her arms and tilted her head at the man on the other side, seeing his unhappy disposition, “happy now?” 

He looked around his empty room and smiled, “quite.” He turned and paced before her, “is this the part that you finally call me a monster, Ms. Caeli? “ he stopped pacing and stood before her. “Condemn me to hell for taking something from you that you had wanted back?” 

She raised an eyebrow at his foul attitude. “No, I’m not going to call you a monster when everybody else is one too” she sighed. “As for condemning you, I imagine you’ve heard it all so I will not waste my breath.” Hannibal let out a husky scoff but she continued. “However, I will tell you that you didn’t take anything from me that I was willing to give away.” He inhaled, he could smell her—Lilac. 

Ryder noticed the nostalgic look on his face as he gazed at her, but decided to change the subject, “What did Alana mean by keeping promises Hannibal?” 

He held out his hand, directing her gaze to the empty room around him “a mere repercussion because of my inability to cooperate, I’m afraid.” He turned his head to survey it again, then turned his attention back to Ryder, “it is dreadfully boring in here and as much as I like your company, you didn’t come to question me about my promises with Alana Bloom. Why are you here?” 

Ryder took a few breaths to steady herself. So this was his punishment for his involvement in the ‘conversation’ with the Dragon. She was almost afraid of the answer to the question she had come here to ask him. After all, he clearly didn’t help with pinpointing the Dragon’s location and was the reason Will or her would have been targeted. It irritated her that he held her life in his hands, even when he was still locked in the small room and she had grown tired of it. 

“Any day now, Ms. Caeli.” Hannibal’s voice reverberated off the bare walls impatiently, jolting her out of her thoughts. With a glare, Ryder took a step towards the glass. “The Dragon targeted Will’s family in the last 48 hours, his wife almost died.” Just then, Hannibal clicked his tongue in obvious disappointment, but Ryder continued on “Although, I have to wonder how did he know where Will lived or even to target Will, he could have targeted me, I was with Will at the art museum.” 

He regarded her with curiosity “That is rather interesting development” he smirked at her, but she did not return it. When he didn’t receive a response he took a deep breath, “my 'punishment’ is related to Will and the Dragon I’m sure you have already figured that out. But if you are so adamant about the subject, I told the Dragon to ‘save yourself and kill them all’ and then gave him Will’s address.” 

Her eyebrows scrunched, “of course you did.” 

He smirked, “the world is far too interesting with you in it Ms. Caeli. I see a darkness in you.” 

“There’s darkness in Will” she fired back. But her only answer was a slow smile. Still holding his gaze, she took another step forward to put her hand against the glass. “In fact, Darkness is a fire that burns in us all” he stepped towards the glass—glancing at the stiches on her hand that he presumed she got from her encounter with the Dragon—and added “you know what happens when you get too close to fire Ms. Caeli—” 

“—you get burned.” 

“Or?” he questioned. 

“Or, you become one” She answered. Ryder saw him looking at her hand, his gaze directed back at her as she spoke quietly. “’Out of the ash I rise with my red hair and I eat men like air.” 

Hannibal smiled broadly at her reference. She took her hand away from the glass and turned her back to go, but not before turning half her body and looking directly at Hannibal. 

“I can’t tell if you’re the angel or the devil on my shoulder. You shatter my mind into a million pieces and then help me put it all back together.” Her eyes burned from the oncoming tears. “And then you shatter me again.” With that parting thought, she walked briskly from the room. Hannibal crossing his hands behind his back regarding her words. He turned his eyes to the hand print on the glass, the heat around it disappearing as it left a mark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anybody catch my little tribute to Sylvia Plath? If you did I'll give you a cookie!


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, welcome back! Sorry for the delay the holidays were a very busy time but I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday. I got another chapter for you guys! Can you believe it? We're almost to the end. I want to congratulate all you guys for staying with me becuase I know it's along one. Of course, I love to hear how wonderful you guys think this story is so thank you for reading and telling me. Happy reading!!!

Ryder was called out of her office again by Jack who stopped in and left abruptly after he said he wanted to see her, Alana and Will in his office as soon as possible. She could venture a guess that he came right after a visit with Hannibal. After all, Ryder thought, nobody could rile anybody one of them up like the man downstairs. A little while later, Ryder was the last to arrive as she walked in and sat next to Alana; Jack was already seated and Will looked out a window as usual. 

“So refresh me, we don’t have anything?” Will asked. 

“Eight people dead in a month, we can’t play the long game. You and I know it’s the best way to bait him” Jack stated as he used his hands for emphasis. 

“Got me on the hook, now you’re dangling me to catch a bigger fish” Will stated, seemingly unsurprised. But Jack shook his head “it was your suggestion.” 

Will finally directed his attention on Jack from the window, “and you’re thrilled you didn’t have to make it.” 

Ryder exchanged a confused look between the two men. There was an obvious coldness in the room that emanated from both. “Excuse me if you will, but I’m confused as to what is even happening right now” Ryder peered at both who eyed each other warily. 

With a deep breath Will stepped away from the window and faced her, “It was thought that using me to draw out the Dragon would be a good idea since I’m—” he paused, “—affiliated with Hannibal Lecter.” 

Ryder let out an incredulous scoff, “Think about what we’ve seen the Dragon do. The Dragon could do irreparable damage.” Ryder’s voice seemed to echo in the office. After a moment, Alana put a reassuring hand on Ryder’s arm. “Ryder has a point. You once fooled yourselves into believing you were in control of what was happening. Are you still under that delusion?”

Will blinked and stuttered like he saw something—a nightmare. Ryder looked from Jack to Alana to see if they noticed Will’s ambivalence and no later was Jack rising from his chair asking if Will was alright. Will put a hand up to stop Jack from advancing and collected himself from his haze. “The Dragon has a certain abstract curiosity about me. All psychopaths and narcissists, they love to read about themselves. If you were smart, Jack, you would use Freddie Louds in this too.” Will finished, shifting his legs. 

Jack sat back down and tapped his fingers on the desk in thought “she will need to interview you, Will, take your picture.”

Will stepped towards Jack, “I’m in it now. Can’t go home as long as he’s loose.” He turned to face Ryder and Alana “so, I really bad-mouth the Red Dragon in Tattle Crime. Give him a shot at me.” 

Jack stared at Will, “it’s got to be a really good shot, Will. What about the set up?” 

“Something open, some place where he can get close to me” Will answered back. “It feels like a trap to me” Ryder sighed, an uncomfortable feeling settling in her stomach.

Alana looked from her to Will speaking directly at him, “If it feels like a trap to one of us, it’ll feel like a trap to him. That is unless, you have a professional voice to legitimize what you’re saying.” 

“Someone to hide the wire of the snare?” Will guessed as his eyebrows rose with her comment, “are you volunteering?” 

Alana sat upright, “no, I’d have to be a fool.” She looked over to Ryder who she caught the attention of; she got what Alana was saying. Meanwhile, Will and Jack exchanged glances waiting for the big reveal. Alana cocked her head to the side, “anybody know where Dr. Chilton is?” 

\---

Ryder eventually tracked down the man. He was currently visiting Hannibal but volunteered to get him so he could be interviewed for the plan. As she walked down the stairs and reached the doors, she leaned against the wall, waiting. From where she leaned, she could hear frustrated yelling, it got quiet and not soon after Dr. Chilton emerged, appearing to be frazzled. 

He frowned at her casual appearance. “Are you here to remonstrate me with ‘I told you so’s?’” 

Ryder smirked at his obvious frustration. She warned him about Hannibal’s behavior and now he was seeing it emerge yet again. “What? About your dabbling in places that should be left alone?” He gave her an exasperated sigh but shook her head. “That’s not why I’m here” she paused. “If you’ll be so kind as to follow me to Jack’s office.” 

“And why would I want to do that?” he shot back at her. But she began walking away from him knowing he would follow. Another smirk came over her as she heard echoing footsteps behind her. Once they got there, she opened the door for Frederick who gave her an insincere smile and closed it when he went in. She leaned against the wall in the hallway and closed her eyes for a moment. She told them she didn’t want to be there and quite frankly, it was another reason to avoid the ‘plan’ as she tried her hardest to evade Freddie Lounds like the Black Plague. Through the door, she could already hear talking, most of which was Frederick’s. She pushed off from the wall and walked away from the closed door, returning to her office to do more work. For her, there was an overwhelming sense of dysphoria about the plan. She desired for Frederick and Will to not be harmed—she would get half her wish.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!!!!! Okay so I know that I haven't updated in a reeeaaaally long time and I am truly sorry about that. Things got really busy at school, but I've got another chapter for you. Also, I love you guys for sticking with me! I can't believe that I have people who are reading this and absolutely love it...it's so exciting!!! Hope you like it

The Next day, Ryder had just gotten to her desk when Alana barged in. “Something happened” she huffed out, her eyes looked glassy. As Ryder was going to ask what was going on, Alana motioned for Ryder to follow her and not soon after Ryder was in Hannibal’s cell. She came into the room to see Hannibal in the Dolly strapped in, meanwhile Alana handed her some Latex gloves. Ryder looked questioningly at her but put them on. She was handed a note by Alana with messy scribbles, saying ‘with these he offended me.’ She looked up from the note, feeling her breath hitch as she handed it back to Alana. Her immediate thoughts went to Will and Dr. Chilton. 

Hannibal looked across the table in Ryder’s direction “Dr. Chilton often offended me, so I certainly understand the sentiment.” Ryder looked up from the note, surprise on her face that it was indeed Dr. Chilton rather than Will. She mentally chastised herself at the relief that flooded her. Nonetheless, Hannibal did not miss her expression. He was still staring at her until Jack brought a silver plate near Hannibal’s face with what appeared to be Dr. Chilton’s lips—or rather lip. Ryder closed her eyes and turned her head away at the site of the detached body part on the silver platter. 

“Where’s the other one?” Jack challenged. 

At the sound of Hannibal’s perky voice, Ryder turned her attention back to him. “This one can provide you anything the other one can” he glanced at Alana and Ryder and they both looked to Jack. Ryder felt a shiver run up her spine from the site of the lip. 

Despite the chilliness of the event, Hannibal had a smile on his face, delighted. “I’m sorry, Jack, the tragedy of what’s happened to Frederick has put me in an excellent humor.” Ryder shook her head, of course something bad had to happen, nothing ever seemed to go according to plan. 

Jack put down the plate, catching Ryder’s attention again. “Dr. Chilton disappeared yesterday, under armed escort.” 

Hannibal’s smile disappeared, “you pretended to burn Freddie Lounds in a wheelchair to flush me out. What were you pretending to do with Frederick Chilton?” 

Jack narrowed his eyes, “he profiled the Dragon for Freddie Lounds.” 

“We wanted to enrage him.” Alana spoke meekly while notably avoiding Hannibal’s gaze. 

Hannibal looked down at the plate and then to Alana. “Well, congratulations Alana. You could’ve provided anything Dr. Chilton could then that would’ve been your lip I was tasting, again.”. 

“You publicly discredited Dr. Chilton by refuting him.” Ryder paused “and thereby you orchestrated his end by proxy. You are just as guilty.” 

Hannibal turned his head towards her, “ah, Ms. Caeli, so glad you could join our wonderful conversation. I see that you had a change of heart that happened not a minute ago towards the man. But keep in mind, you are the one who warned him not to precede in making a profit off of my thoughts. Now, it is you who is standing up for the man you’ve deemed as, if I remember correctly, ‘unoriginal’ and ‘disgusting. You are just as guilty as I am for sending Daniel into the lion’s den. You helped devise his end.” 

He paused, looking at her. He could see the fast rising of her chest and thought better of his speech. He knew how she thought; she was worried about both Frederick and Will. But from her obvious surprise, she felt relief from hearing it was Frederick who was caught in the trap and not Will. Still, he knew her. She probably didn’t want any part of this plan that caused the disappearance of Dr. Chilton. But that was her fault, she was still soft in areas that should’ve been hardened long ago. 

After a moments pause, Hannibal redirected the blame on Jack and Alana. “You saw the hole and let him roll right into it. That’s professional discourtesy and I would’ve thought that you’ve learned your lesson by now.” After he said that, his gaze returned to Ryder. But she was too busy taking off her gloves and turning her back on him to leave the room. 

\---

That evening, Ryder was still at her desk, nervously chewing on a pencil. Nothing productive got done that day. Her mind kept straying to Dr. Chilton and every time she told herself to work, she kept getting distracted. When Jack stopped by to say he had more evidence, her stomach returned to its sour state. She followed after him and entered the room, not surprised to find Will and Alana there already. There was a projector, with a tape that Jack put in as he sat on his desk to watch. She walked up between Will and Alana, already knowing what it was, was not good. 

Before he pressed the play button, Jack turned towards all of them, eyeing Alana particularly. “Dr. Bloom and I have recovered Doctor Chilton a little over three hours ago, but at great cost. This tape was left with him when he was found. Please prepare yourselves.” Ryder opened her mouth to object, but the tape had already started. She looked from Jack to Alana, irritation filling her at knowing her and Will were left in the dark. But, her irritation turned to sadness as she saw the man on the tape. It showed Frederick, he was sitting down in front of a movie screen and was shirtless. He appeared to be parroting back what was told to him as he stared directly at them through the film. His voice trembled from fear on the tape.

“I have had a great privilege. I have seen, with wonder and awe, the strength of the Great Red Dragon. All that I said, was lies from Will Graham.” Ryder noticed Jack glance from the movie to Will at the mention of his name, but it quickly reverted back the horror in front of them. 

“I have blasphemed against the Dragon. Even so, the Dragon is merciful. Because I was forced to lie, he will be more merciful to me than you, Will Graham.” Ryder could hear the catch in Chilton’s voice and she shook her head to clear it of the scared man. “Reach behind you and feel the small knobs on the top of you pelvis. Feel your spine between them. That is the precise spot where the Dragon will snap your spine. There is much for you to dread. From my own lips, you will learn a little more to dread.” 

Terror touched everybody’s faces when they saw the man known as the ‘Great Red Dragon’ come to face Dr. Chilton and rip the doctors lips away from his face. Dr. Chilton’s heartbreaking screams reverberated through the room. Will put his hands over his ears trying to tune it out. Jack pressed the stop button as Ryder bent down to grab Will’s hands away from his ears. She could feel him shaking. “Hey, you okay?” she asked as his eyes met hers. He was letting out short gasps and Alana came to help. As Ryder stood, her stomach turned and quickly excused herself, taking her inhaler out of her pocket to run to the bathroom. 

Jack had been walking down the hallway with Will when Ryder emerged from the bathroom. He straightened up and looked up and down, asking if she was okay. She let out a hoarse scoff, and shook her head not wanted to look either of them in the eye after what they’ve seen. There was a pregnant pause, then Jack inquired if she wanted to go with them as they were on their way to see Dr. Chilton. She hesitated for a moment, thinking if it was a good idea. But after a moment’s thought, she nodded her head. Ryder had an obligation and followed the two men down the hallway. 

They stepped into a small room, but Jack stopped them in front of a curtain, speaking to both of them but both not hearing what he said. Ryder registered that Jack stopped talking after he finally opened the curtain. It revealed a severely burned man who was currently soaking in a bathtub. Ryder didn’t hear a word or really pay attention to what was going on. She knew there was a conversation going on with all of the men but she was in a state of consternation, staring at the man who was Frederick Chilton. 

She followed the brown, black, pink and red splotches that covered his body, some of it hanging off haphazardly. The air smelled of antiseptic and burnt flesh. She noticed that his eyes stuck out, more-so than his teeth; the left one was clouded and damaged from being shot and the right one, the natural brown they once were. 

She came to when they asked him if he saw anything. He answered and although Will translated for him, Ryder was surprised she could understand him. He said that he saw a black woman who was blind, to which Jack added that her name was Reba. After that, the two men looked at each other and thanked Dr. Chilton as they walked out of the curtained room, but Ryder stayed, still looking at the Doctor. 

He looked up at her with his good eye, “what do you want?” he said, barely audible. 

She blinked, her mood was grave. “I know you’re angry. You have every reason to be.” He made a choking sound that Ryder had a feeling was a scoff. But she continued “I didn’t come down here to clear my conscious, pretend I care or to pity you, you wouldn’t want it anyway” she paused and she could tell he was listening. “I’m sorry” she said simply and it remained quiet until she turned to walk out of the room and toward her office to pack her things and go home. Everybody blissfully unware of the personal hell Reba McLain would go through that very night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading, commenting and giving kudos!


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